Tetrahymena nuclear proteins that bind to a micronucleus-specific sequence during vegetative growth

Tetrahymena thermophila has two nuclei: a micronucleus is transcriptionally silent during vegetative growth and a macronucleus is active. Extensive programmed DNA rearrangement is known to occur during the development of the somatic macronucleus from the germ-line micronucleus. We previously found a 1.4 kb micronucleus-specific sequence, C-element, which was located upstream of the micronuclear calmodulin gene and was eliminated from the macronuclear genome during macronuclear development. Here, using gel mobility shift assays, we show that C-element binding factors, CBFs, are present in the nuclear extract prepared from vegetative cells. Competition experiments demonstrate that CBFs bind to two regions within the C-element. A sequence motif common to these regions is 5'-ATAGATTT-3'.