The primary structure of bovine satellite 1.715

Abstract

The primary structure of the 1402 bp repeat unit of bovine satellite 1.715 has been determined using a dimer inserted at the SalI site of plasmid pBR322 and cloned in E. coli. In contrast with bovine satellites 1.706, 1.720b and 1.711a, the 1.715 satellite has a complex sequence with no obvious internal short prototype repeat. The sequence consists however of repeats ranging in length from 6 to 13 nucleotides. In addition, the hexanucleotide, AGATGA, present in the prototype sequences of satellites 1.706, 1.720b and 1.711a, is found in satellite 1.715 in repeats as long as, or longer than, 8 nucleotides, establishing a homology link among those satellites on one hand and satellite 1.715 (and the related satellite 1.711b) on the other. In turn, this suggests a common evolutionary origin. A comparison of the maps for 15 restriction enzymes of cloned and uncloned satellite indicates very little sequence divergence among the repeat units of the latter, most of the differences being due to methylation.