Analysis of the sequence of repeats in divergent regions of maxi-circular DNA from kinetoplasts of Crithidia oncopelti

The nucleotide sequence of direct clustered repeats from the divergent region of the maxicircle kinetoplast (mitochondrial) DNA from the protozoan Crithidia oncopelti was analysed. 10 kbp long divergent region contains 3 clusters composed of 18-23 tandem repeats of 82-83 bp (Sau-repeats) and a single cluster of five 417 bp repeats (EcoRI-repeats). The clusters are interspersed between the regions of nonrepetitive DNA. The details of the structural organization of repeats and their clusters were considered on the nucleotide sequence level. The possible ways of origin of the clusters are discussed.