Effect of DNA sequences adjacent to the termini of Tn3 on sequential translocation.

Insertion of Tn3 generates a five base pair repeat of a nucleotide sequence indigenous to the recipient genome. Tn3 promoted deletions extend precisely from the Tn3 terminus and remove one of the 5 base pair repeats while not affecting the ability of Tn3 to subsequently undergo translocation. A direct repeat of a 10 bp sequence located in the Tn3 termini occurs internally within Tn3 and may affect the orientation of insertion.