The E. crassus Tec1 element is present in greater than 10(4) copies in the micronuclear genome but is absent from the macronuclear genome. During formation of a macronucleus from a micronucleus, a majority of the Tec1 elements appear as extrachromosomal circles. The circular and integrated forms of Tec1 have been characterized by restriction mapping to produce consensus maps and by sequence analysis of the element's termini. The circular forms are resistant to BAL31 and have the restriction map expected if the element excises at the end of its inverted repeats. DNA sequence analysis of a circular form confirms that the inverted repeats are in a head-to-head configuration. Excision of Tec1 occurs very early during macronuclear development as the DNA begins to replicate to form polytene chromosomes.