REPETITIVE ELEMENTS IN THE 3RD-INTRON OF MURINE APOLIPOPROTEIN-A-I GENE

Genomic DNAs containing the gene encoding apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) from four strains of mice and three strains of rats have been sequence d. Some peculiar repetitive sequences were found in the third intron o f apoA-I of the murine species. The striking features include regular tandem repeats of C(A)(4) and C(A)(6) in mice and long A-tracts in rat s. Not completely identical but very similar motifs were found in mice or rats belonging to the same species while repetitive elements from different species show some variation from their species-specific cons ensus sequences. These repetitive motifs are very similar to the seque nces flanking human Alu and rodent B1 repetitive elements, although no evidence for the existence of Alu or B1 was found near the peculiar r epetitive DNA sequences in apoA-I gene.