Philippe Brulet*, Service de Genetique Cellulaire, Inst. Pasteur, Paris, France

The early transposon (E.Tn) family of long repeated and dispersed sequences in the mouse genome presents several structural characteristics of retroviral proviruses. The proviral sequence has long terminal repeats (LTR). The RNA transcript 5’ and 3’ ends are localized in the LTRS. A 12 bp direct repeat is found at both ends of the RNA. By nucleotide sequencing, primer extension and Si mapping the E.Tn LTR has the retroviral U3.R.U5 structure. An inverted repeat ending in TG … CA borders the LTR. Two bp after the 3’ end of the 5’ LTR is a tRNA binding site. A purine sequence is found 5’ of the 3’ LTR. A six bp duplication of genomic DNA brackets the E.Tn sequence. Finally by heteroduplex electron microscopy analysis, the RNA is colinear to the DNA.

By in situ hybridization on embryo sections using...

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