Sequence organization inDictyostelium: unique structure at the 5′-ends of protein coding genes

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Abstract
We have compared the sequences which lie 5' to the coding regions of 15 Dictyostelium genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II. These sequences are extremely (approximately 90%) A + T rich and contain extensive homopolymeric regions. Like most eukaryotic genes, those in Dictyostelium possess a TATA or Goldberg-Hogness Box approximately 25-35bp 5' to the site of transcription initiation. In addition, each gene contains an oligo (dT) stretch between the TATA Box and mRNA start site; this oligo (dT) sequence is, thus far, unique to Dictyostelium. We suggest that the TATA-oligo (dT) structure is an essential component of the Dictyostelium promoter. The general sequence structure of coding, non-coding and untranscribed flanking regions in Dictyostelium is also discussed.