Gene conversion and reciprocal exchange in a Ty-mediated translocation in yeast.

A haploid yeast mutant carrying a reciprocal translocation was analyzed. Cloning and comparison of sequences involved in the translocation event in wildtype and mutant revealed that the crossover between nonhomologous chromosomes has occurred within Ty sequences. By DNA sequence analysis it could be demonstrated that the reciprocal recombination event is accompanied by a short segment of non-reciprocal exchange (gene conversion) in the immediate vicinity of the crossover. Analysis of the translocation mutant and revertant isolates also indicated that the regulatory effect of Ty elements on adjacent genes can be modified by discrete changes within a Ty element.