Organization, Transcription, and Regulation in the Animal Genome

Abstract

This review concerns recent experimental information in areas of animal cell molecular biology which are relevant to the mechanism of gene regulation. New data regarding interspersion and clustering of repetitive sequence elements in DNA are considered. Molecular characteristics of animal structural genes and mRNAs are discussed, with particular reference to the frequency of structural gene sequences, mRNA turnover, and the interpretation of dipteran complementation groups. The molecular characteristics of nuclear RNAs, the primary transcription products, are reviewed. Evidence for transcription level regulation is summarized and the relation of nuclear and mRNA examined. The protein activator branch of the Britten-Davidson model for gene regulations is further developed and considered in ligh of current knowledge.