Transcription of the maxicircle kinetoplast DNA of Leishmania tarentolae.

Numerous transcripts of the 30 kilobase maxicircle component of the kinetoplast DNA of Leishmania Tarentolae have been analyzed by the Northern blotting method. The transcripts range in size from 1.8 to 0.1 kb. RNAs arising from the cloned 6.6 kb region containing the presumptive miniribosomal RNA genes were shown to be transcribed in the direction 12 S to 9 S on the same strand. A preliminary transcriptional map was constructed and related to the distribution of AT-rich regions of the maxicircle DNA molecule.