A Novel Mechanism of Self-Primed Reverse Transcription Defines a New Family of Retroelements

作者：Henry L. Levin · 发表于：Molecular and Cellular Biology · 年份：1995 · DOI：10.1128/mcb.15.6.3310 · 被引用次数：98 · 研究领域：Chromosomal and Genetic Variations、RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms、CRISPR and Genetic Engineering

Retroviruses and long terminal repeat (LTR)-containing retrotransposons initiate reverse transcription by using a specific tRNA primer than anneals to the primer-binding site of the retroelement transcript. Sequences from a large number of retroviruses and LTR-containing retrotransposons had indicated that the role of tRNAs in priming reverse transcription is universal among these LTR-containing retroelements. Data presented here strongly support the surprising conclusion that Tf1, a highly active LTR-containing retrotransposon isolated from Schizosaccharomyces pombe, undergoes a novel self-priming process that requires hybridization between the primer-binding site and the first 11 bases of the Tf1 transcript. Single-base mutations in these regions block transposition and reverse transcription, while compensatory mutations that reestablish complementarily rescue both defects. In addition, the sequence of the minus-strand RNA primer of reverse transcription was consistent with its being derived from the 5' end of the Tf1 transcript. Evidence that this mechanism defines a new family of retroelements is presented.