Organization, Transcription, and Regulation in the Animal Genome

This review concern recent experimental information areas of animal cell molecular biology which are relevant to the mechanism of gene regulation. New data regarding interspersion and clustering of repetitive sequence elements in DNA are considered Molecular characteristics of animal structural genes and mRNAs are discussed, with particular reference the frequency of structural gene sequences, mRNA turn over and the interpretation of dipteran complementation groups. The molecular characteristics of nuclear RNAs, the primary transcription products, are reviewed. Evidence for transcription level regulation is summarized and the relation of nuclear and mRNA examined. The protein activator branch of the Britten-Davidson model for gene regulation is further developed and considered in light of current knowledge.