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Abstract
We have examined the effect of RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription on recombination
between directly repeated sequences of the GAL10 gene in S. cerevisiae. Direct repeat
recombination leading either to plasmid loss or conversion was examined in isogenic
strains containing null mutations in the positive activator, GAL4, or the repressor,
GAL80. A 15-fold increase in the rate of plasmid loss is observed in cells constitutively
expressing the construct compared with cells that are not. Conversion events that
retain the integrated plasmid are not stimulated by expression of the repeats. Northern
analysis of strains containing plasmid inserts with various promoter mutations suggests
that the stimulation in recombination is mediated by events initiating within the
integrated plasmid sequences.