A unique sequence in murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat functions as a termination signal for transcription in Escherichia coli.

Moloney murine leukemia virus DNA fragments were subcloned into two plasmids downstream of active promoters to detect termination sequences for transcription initiated at these promoters. Two of the viral DNA fragments (2,050 and 595 base pairs) were able to block transcription when inserted in one orientation but not when inserted in the other. These two viral DNA fragments contained long terminal repeat sequences. Deletion of 84 base pairs from the U-3 and R regions in the long terminal repeat removed the transcription termination activity.