A new Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotype Columbia) genomic library has been constructed in Yeast Artificial Chromosomes: the CIC library (for CEPH, INRA and CNRS). Optimization of plant culture conditions and protoplast preparation allowed the recovery of large amounts of viable protoplasts. Mechanical shearing of DNA was minimized by isolation of DNA from protoplasts embedded in agarose. Cloning of large inserts was favored by including two successive size fractionation steps (after partial EcoRI digestion and after ligation with the vector arms), which selected DNA fragments larger than 350 kb. The library consists of 1152 clones with an average insert size of 420 kb. Clones carrying chloroplast DNA and various nuclear repeated sequences have been identified. Twenty-one per cent of the clones are found to contain chloroplast DNA. Therefore, the library represents around four nuclear genome equivalents. The clones containing 5S rDNA genes, 18S-25S rDNA sequences and the 180 bp paracentromeric repeated element account for 3.6%, 8.9% and 5.8%, respectively. Only one clone was found to carry the 160 bp paracentromeric repeated element. Given the smaller size of clones carrying Arabidopsis repeated DNA, the average size of remaining clones is around 480 kb. The library was screened by PCR amplification using pairs of primers corresponding to sequences dispersed in the genome. Seventy out of 76 pairs of primers identified from one to seven YAC clones. Thus at least 92% of the genome is represented in the CIC library. The survey of the library for clones containing unlinked DNA sequences indicates that the proportion of chimeric clones is lower than 10%.

One major 5S RNA, 120 bases long, was revealed by an analysis of mature 5S RNA from tissues, developmental stages, and polysomes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Minor 5S RNA were also found, varying from the major one by one or two base substitutions; 5S rDNA units from each 5S array of the Arabidopsis genome were isolated by PCR using CIC yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) mapped on the different loci. By using a comparison of the 5S DNA and RNA sequences, we could show that both major and minor 5S transcripts come from only two of the genomic 5S loci: chromosome 4 and chromosome 5 major block. Other 5S loci are either not transcribed or produce rapidly degraded 5S transcripts. Analysis of the 5Ј-and 3Ј-DNA flanking sequence has permitted the definition of specific signatures for each 5S rDNA array.

An analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana heterochromatic regions allowed the identification of a new family of retroelements called Athila. These 10.5 kb elements, representing ca. 0.3% of the genome, present several features of retrotransposons and retroviruses. Athila elements are flanked by 1.5 kb long terminal repeats (LTR) that are themselves bounded by 5 bp perfect inverted repeats. These LTRs start and end with the retroviral consensus 5'TG...CA3' nucleotides. A putative tRNA-binding site and a polypurine tract are found adjacent to the 5' and 3' LTR respectively. The central domain is composed of two long open reading frames (ORFs) of 935 and 694 amino acids. Despite several indications of recent transposition activity, the translation of these ORFs failed to reveal significant homology with proteins associated to retrotransposition. We suggest that the Athila family could result from the transduction and dispersion of a cellular gene by a retrotransposon.