Repetitive sequences in nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae

Nuclear DNA isolated from aSaccharomyces cerevisiae ρ mutant was studied for the presence of repetitive sequences. A main-band DNA preparation free of rRNA genes and 2-μm plasmid DNA was prepared by density gradient centrifugation in Cs₂SO₄−Ag⁺. A fast renaturing fraction was obtained from this mainband DNA by 3 cycles of reassociation at a low C₀t value (0.2). This fraction reassociated 10 times faster than the bulk of the main-band DNA. Its sequences comprised about 3% of the genome and showed a considerable heterogeneity in respect to repetitiveness. The relationship of this fraction to the repetitive transposable elements recently found in yeast cells is discussed.