Specific duplications fostered by a DNA structure containing adjacent inverted repeat sequences.

This paper describes the nucleotide sequences of three spontaneous mutations in a suppressor gene of phage T4 tRNA(Ser). They are duplications of the anticodon and variable arms of the tRNA(Ser) molecule. One is a 34-nucleotide direct repeat of the wild-type sequence. The remaining two have reciprocal structures, with each containing 35-nucleotide inverted and direct repeats of the wild-type sequence. One of the latter mutations is frequent and was present in multiple isolates. All three duplications are unstable, and several revertants of each were sequenced. Most of the revertants had the wild-type nucleotide sequence; however, one had imprecisely removed the duplicated residues, leaving four new nucleotides compared to the wild-type sequence. These mutations represent significant genetic events with regard to their high rates and their gross structural alterations. As to their origin, the mutations can be described as the end-products of endonuclease cleavage of DNA at regions of potential secondary structure and subsequent DNA synthesis. The secondary structure contains four base-paired stems that emerge from duplex DNA. These stems encode the anticodon and variable arm regions of the tRNA(Ser) molecule. The cleavage sites mimic the known substrate of T4 endonuclease VII, an enzyme previously noted for its ability to resolve Holliday-like DNA intermediates.