Regulation of Mu activity in maize

在玉米中发现的转座因子Mu在几种转座因子中是独一无二的。 的方式 这个实验室首先克隆了这种元素， 随后几个实验室的研究表明， 被鉴定为Mu的克隆元件是不完美的， 本身并不能引起转座。 “主人”元素 最终被这个实验室克隆并鉴定， 另外两个实验室在1991年，拟议的工作是一个 继续这些研究。 元素对两条消息进行编码 当处于活跃的染色体位置时。 染色体差异 性传播的位置和方式会影响 MuR1转座。 我们还证明了元素可以和 将自动化，我们将使用这些自动沿着与其他 更传统的衍生突变体来描述的机制， 转座和功能的两个转录本及其 proteins. 一个长期的目标将是尝试利用这一点 转座子标记谷类作物的元件， 世界营养 %%% 转座子，或“跳跃基因”已被证明是智力 对了解基本遗传机制的兴趣， 实际重要性在于，它们可以作为基因工程 向量。 这两种利益最好在完整的 描述和理解这些特征， DNA序列 穆是非常重要的特点， 已经发现它具有独特的性质， 迄今为止鉴定的数百种转座因子。 的 在大麦中检测到这种元素的碎片， 长期的希望是基因工程可以提供一个极其 这是改善全世界谷类作物的重要工具。

The transposable element, Mu, found in maize is unique in several ways. The element was first cloned by this laboratory, but subsequent studies by several laboratories demonstrated that all of the cloned elements identified as Mu were imperfect in that they could not in themselves induce transposition. The "master" element was finally cloned and characterized by this laboratory, as well as two other laboratories in 1991, and the proposed work is a continuation of those studies. The element encodes two messages when in an active chromosomal position. Differences in chromosomal position and mode of sexual transmission can effect the rate of MuR1 transposition. We have also shown that the element can and will automutate, and we will use these automutants along with other more conventionally derived mutants to describe the mechanism of transposition and functions of the two transcripts and their proteins. A long term goal will be to attempt to utilize this element to transposon tag cereal crops that are so important to world nutrition. %%% Transposons, or "jumping genes" have proven to be of intellectual interest in understanding fundamental genetic mechanisms and of practical importance, in that they can be engineered as gene vectors. Both of those interests are best served in the complete characterization and understanding of the characteristics of such DNA sequences. Mu is extremely important to characterize in that it has already been found to have properties which are unique among the hundreds of transposable elements so far characterized. The detection of the fragments of the element in barley offers the long-range hope that genetic engineering might provide an extremely important tool for improving cereal crops throughout the world.