Open AccessThe 5′-flanking regions of three pea legumia genes: comparison of the DNA sequences
Author(s) -
Grantley W. Lycett,
R. R. D. Croy,
A. H. Shirsat,
David M. Richards,
D. Boulter
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/13.18.6733
Subject(s) - biology , genetics , gene , homology (biology) , transposable element , tata box , start codon , enhancer , nucleic acid sequence , conserved sequence , regulatory sequence , promoter , nucleotide , regulation of gene expression , base sequence , transcription factor , mutant , gene expression
Approximately 1200 nucleotides of sequence data from the promoter and 5'-flanking regions of each of three pea (Pisum sativum L.) legumin genes (legA, legB and legC) are presented. The promoter regions of all three genes were found to be identical including the "TATA box", and "CAAT box', and sequences showing homology to the SV40 enhancers. The legA sequence begins to diverge from the others about 300bp from the start codon, whereas the other two genes remain identical for another 550bp. The regions of partial homology exhibit deletions or insertions and some short, comparatively well conserved sequences. The significance of these features is discussed in terms of evolutionary mechanisms and their possible functional roles. The legC gene contains a region that may potentially form either of two mutually exclusive stem-loop structures, one of which has a stem 42bp long, which suggests that it could be fairly stable. We suggest that a mechanism of switching between such alternative structures may play some role in gene control or may represent the insertion of a transposable element.