Gene inactivation triggered by recognition between DNA repeats.

This chapter focuses on phenomena of gene inactivation resulting from the presence of repeated gene copies within the genome of plants and fungi, and on their possible relationships to homologous DNA-DNA interactions. Emphasis is given to two related premeiotic processes: Methylation Induced Premeiotically (MIP) and Repeat-Induced Point mutation (RIP) which take place in the fungi Ascobolus immersus and Neurospora crassa, respectively. The relationships between these processes and genetic recombination are discussed.