Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

A specific replication origin in the chromosomal rDNA of Lytechinus variegatus

Nature volume 299, pages 453–456 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

Specific replication origins have been well characterized in prokaryotes1,2, and have been identified in eukaryotic extra-chromosomal DNAs3–8. The best candidate, until now, for a specific eukaryotic chromosomal replication origin has been found in yeast9, but the general existence of such origins is challenged10 by the finding that SV40 and polyoma DNA fragments lacking the viral replication origin can replicate after injection into Xenopus eggs. It has thus been suggested that the origins found on extrachromosomal DNAs exist solely to circumvent the cells' strict requirement for chromosomal DNA to replicate once per cell division. Clearly the disparate views can only be reconciled after the replication of specific chromosomal genes has been studied. To this end, we have studied the replication of the ribosomal genes (rDNA) of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. The visualization of replicating rDNA, isolated from rapidly dividing sea urchin gastrula cells, after restriction endonuclease digestion demonstrates that the initiation of replication in these chromosomal genes is sequence-specific, and is most probably confined to a region within the non-transcribed spacer.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jacob, F., Brenner, S. & Cuzin, F. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 28, 329–348 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kolter, R. & Helinski, D. R. A. Rev. Genet. 13, 355–391 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Nathan, D. & Danna, K. Nature new Biol. 236, 202–212 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Crawford, L. V., Syrett, C. & Wilde, A. J. gen. Virol. 21, 515–521 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chalberg, R. & Kelly, T. J. molec. Biol. 135, 988–1012 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Robberson, D. L., Clayton, D. A. & Morrow, J. F. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 4447–4451 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Truett, M. A. & Gall, J. G. Chromosoma 64, 295–303 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vogt, V. M. & Braun, R. Eur. J. Biochem. 80, 557–566 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Struhl, K., Stinchcomb, D. T., Scherer, S. & Davis, R. W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 1035–1039 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Harland, R. M. & Laskey, R. A. Cell 21, 761–777 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Blin, N. et al. J. biol. Chem. 254, 2716–2721 (1979).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wilson, F. G., Blin, N. & Stafford, D. C. Chromosoma 58, 247–253 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Edenburg, H. J. & Huberman, J. A. A. Rev. Genet. 9, 255–284 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wellauer, P. K., Dawid, I. B., Brown, D. D. & Reeder, R. H. J. molec. Biol. 105, 461–486 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Arnheim, N. & Southern, E. M. Cell 11, 366–370 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dawid, I. B. & Wellauer, P. K. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 42, 1185–1194 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Long, E. & Dawid, I. B. A. Rev. Biochem. 49, 727–764 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Dressler, D. Wolfson, J. & Magazin, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 998–1002 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Huberman, J. A. & Riggs, A. D. J. molec. Biol. 32, 327–341 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kriegstein, J. & Hogness, D. S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 71, 135–139 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Weintraub, H. Nature new Biol. 236, 195–197 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cech, T. & Brehn, S. L. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 3531–3543 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. McKnight, S. L., Bustin, M. & Miller, O. L. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 42, 741–754 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Stinchcomb, D. T., Thomas, M., Kelley, J., Selkor, E. & Davis, R. W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 4559–4563 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Tschumper, G. & Carbon, J. Gene 10, 157–166 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Stinchcomb, D. T., Struhl, K. & Davis, R. W. Nature 282, 39–43 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Rastl, E. & Dawid, I. B. Cell 18, 501–510 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Moss, T. & Birnstiel, M. C. Nucleic Acids Res. 6, 3733–3743 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bach, R., Allet, B. & Crippa, M. Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 5311–5330 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rungger, D., Acherman, H. & Crippa, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 3957–3961 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Southern, E. M. J. molec. Biol. 98, 503–517 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Davis, R. W., Simon, M. & Davidson, N. Meth. exp. zool. 21, 413–428 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, 36th Street at Spruce, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA

    Peter M. Botchan & Andrew I. Dayton

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA

    Andrew I. Dayton

Authors
  1. Peter M. Botchan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew I. Dayton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Botchan, P., Dayton, A. A specific replication origin in the chromosomal rDNA of Lytechinus variegatus. Nature 299, 453–456 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/299453a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/299453a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing