The 5S rRNA genes in Macaca fascicularis are organized in two large tandemrepeats

The 5S rRNA genes in Macaca fascicularis are organized in tandem repeats wh ich are unusually large and complex. The tandem repeats consist of a 7.3 kb DNA fragment with two 5S rRNA genes linked to a 4.3 kb fragment with one g ene. The total number of genes in the repeats is 50-100 per haploid genome. The 5S rDNA has an external promoter, the D box, in the same position rela tive to transcription start as the human gene but is transcribed less effic iently than a human 5S rRNA gene in a HeLa cell extract. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.