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Isolation, characterization and chromosomal mapping of an actin gene from the primitive red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae

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Abstract

Based on the results of cytological studies, it has been assumed that Cyanidioschyzon merolae does not contain actin genes. However, Southern hybridization of C. merolae cell-nuclear DNA with a yeast actin-gene probe has suggested the presence of an actin gene in the C. merolae genome. In the present study, an actin gene was isolated from a C. merolae genomic library using a yeast actin-gene probe. The C. merolae actin gene has no intron. The predicted actin is composed of 377 amino acids and has an estimated molecular mass of 42003 Da. Southern hybridization indicated that the C. merolae genome contains only one actin gene. This gene is transcribed at a size of 2.4 kb. When Southern hybridization was performed with C. merolae chromosomes separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, a band appeared on unseparated chromosomes XI and XII. A phylogenetic tree based on known eucaryote actin-gene sequences revealed that C. merolae diverged after the division of Protozoa, but before the division of Fungi, Animalia and Chlorophyta.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, 113, Tokyo, Japan

    Hidenori Takahashi, Hiroyoshi Takano, Shigeyuki Kawano, Akio Toh-e & Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa

  2. Biological Institute Division of Science, Graduate School, Tohoku University, 980-77, Sendai, Japan

    Akiko Yokoyama

  3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 990, Yamagata, Japan

    Yoshiaki Hara

Authors
  1. Hidenori Takahashi
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  2. Hiroyoshi Takano
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  3. Akiko Yokoyama
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  4. Yoshiaki Hara
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  5. Shigeyuki Kawano
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  6. Akio Toh-e
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  7. Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa
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Communicated by J.-D. Rochaix

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Takahashi, H., Takano, H., Yokoyama, A. et al. Isolation, characterization and chromosomal mapping of an actin gene from the primitive red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae . Curr Genet 28, 484–490 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310820

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