scholarly journals Double insertion of transposable elements provides a substrate for the evolution of satellite DNA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. McGurk ◽  
Daniel A. Barbash

AbstractEukaryotic genomes are replete with repeated sequences, in the form of transposable elements (TEs) dispersed across the genome or as satellite arrays, large stretches of tandemly repeated sequence. Many satellites clearly originated as TEs, but it is unclear how mobile genetic parasites can transform into megabase-sized tandem arrays. Comprehensive population genomic sampling is needed to determine the frequency and generative mechanisms of tandem TEs, at all stages from their initial formation to their subsequent expansion and maintenance as satellites. The best available population resources, short-read DNA sequences, are often considered to be of limited utility for analyzing repetitive DNA due to the challenge of mapping individual repeats to unique genomic locations. Here we develop a new pipeline called ConTExt which demonstrates that paired-end Illumina data can be successfully leveraged to identify a wide range of structural variation within repetitive sequence, including tandem elements. Analyzing 85 genomes from five populations of Drosophila melanogaster we discover that TEs commonly form tandem dimers. Our results further suggest that insertion site preference is the major mechanism by which dimers arise and that, consequently, dimers form rapidly during periods of active transposition. This abundance of TE dimers has the potential to provide source material for future expansion into satellite arrays, and we discover one such copy number expansion of the DNA transposon Hobo to ~16 tandem copies in a single line. The very process that defines TEs —transposition— thus regularly generates sequences from which new satellites can arise.

1996 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Vieira ◽  
C. Biémont

SummaryThe insertion site numbers of the transposable elements (TEs) copia, mdgl, 412 and gypsy were determined in various natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans by in situ hybridization. We showed that, while all elements except gypsy had many insertion sites scattered over the chromosomes in D. melanogaster, only the 412 element in D. simulans presented a high number of insertions, and this number was lower than in D. melanogaster. This low 412 site number per genome in D. simulans was associated with a lower proportion of insertions on the X chromosome in comparison with D. melanogaster, as determined in diploid genomes (0·090 for D. simulans against 0·137 for D. melanogaster) and in haploid genomes (0·102 against 0·146), each value being, moreover, lower than the value of 0·20 expected on the hypothesis of no selection against insertional mutations. These results suggest that selection is a major mechanism explaining 412 copy number regulation in Drosophila, and is stronger in D. simulans than in D. melanogaster.


A transposable element can be defined as a DNA sequence capable of moving to new sites in the genome. Such DNA sequences have been described in a wide range of organisms. The evolutionary processes affecting transposable elements can thus be divided into two categories: changes in sequence and changes in genomic location. As with other types of evolutionary change, the nature of the evolutionary process will be reflected in the extent and type of genetic variation existing in wild populations. Quantitative models of the evolution of transposable element sequences and positions will be outlined, and related to relevant data. The extent to which models designed to describe obvious transposable elements such as the mobile sequences of Drosophila are also applicable to interspersed repetitive DNAs from other species will be discussed.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Rey-Iglesia ◽  
Shyam Gopalakrishan ◽  
Christian Carøe ◽  
David E. Alquezar-Planas ◽  
Anne Ahlmann Nielsen ◽  
...  

AbstractIn recent years, the availability of reduced representation library (RRL) methods has catalysed an expansion of genome-scale studies to characterize both model and non-model organisms. Most of these methods rely on the use of restriction enzymes to obtain DNA sequences at a genome-wide level. These approaches have been widely used to sequence thousands of markers across individuals for many organisms at a reasonable cost, revolutionizing the field of population genomics. However, there are still some limitations associated with these methods, in particular, the high molecular weight DNA required as starting material, the reduced number of common loci among investigated samples, and the short length of the sequenced site-associated DNA. Here, we present MobiSeq, a RRL protocol exploiting simple laboratory techniques, that generates genomic data based on PCR targeted-enrichment of transposable elements and the sequencing of the associated flanking region. We validate its performance across 103 DNA extracts derived from three mammalian species: grey wolf (Canis lupus), red deer complex (Cervus sp.), and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus). MobiSeq enables the sequencing of hundreds of thousands loci across the genome, and performs SNP discovery with relatively low rates of clonality. Given the ease and flexibility of MobiSeq protocol, the method has the potential to be implemented for marker discovery and population genomics across a wide range of organisms – enabling the exploration of diverse evolutionary and conservation questions.


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Anuj Kumar

Since Barbara McClintock’s groundbreaking discovery of mobile DNA sequences some 70 years ago, transposable elements have come to be recognized as important mutagenic agents impacting genome composition, genome evolution, and human health. Transposable elements are a major constituent of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes, and the transposition mechanisms enabling transposon proliferation over evolutionary time remain engaging topics for study, suggesting complex interactions with the host, both antagonistic and mutualistic. The impact of transposition is profound, as over 100 human heritable diseases have been attributed to transposon insertions. Transposition can be highly mutagenic, perturbing genome integrity and gene expression in a wide range of organisms. This mutagenic potential has been exploited in the laboratory, where transposons have long been utilized for phenotypic screening and the generation of defined mutant libraries. More recently, barcoding applications and methods for RNA-directed transposition are being used towards new phenotypic screens and studies relevant for gene therapy. Thus, transposable elements are significant in affecting biology both in vivo and in the laboratory, and this review will survey advances in understanding the biological role of transposons and relevant laboratory applications of these powerful molecular tools.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 144 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-204
Author(s):  
Christine Hoogland ◽  
Christian Biémont

Abstract Data of insertion site localization and site occupancy frequency of P, hobo, I, copia, mdg1, mdg3, 412, 297, and roo transposable elements (TEs) on the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster were extracted from the literature. We show that TE insertion site number per chromosomal division was significantly correlated with the amount of DNA. The insertion site number weighted by DNA content was not correlated with recombination rate for all TEs except hobo, for which a positive correlation was detected. No global tendency emerged in the relationship between TE site occupancy frequency, weighted by DNA content, and recombination rate; a strong negative correlation was, however, found for the 3L arm. A possible dominant deleterious effect of chromosomal rearrangements due to recombination between TE insertions is thus not the main factor explaining the dynamics of TEs, since this hypothesis implies a negative relationship between recombination rate and both TE insertion site number and site occupancy frequency. The alternative hypothesis of selection against deleterious effects of insertional mutations is discussed.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Arsala Ali ◽  
Kyudong Han ◽  
Ping Liang

Transposable elements (TEs), also known as mobile elements (MEs), are interspersed repeats that constitute a major fraction of the genomes of higher organisms. As one of their important functional impacts on gene function and genome evolution, TEs participate in regulating the expression of genes nearby and even far away at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. There are two known principal ways by which TEs regulate the expression of genes. First, TEs provide cis-regulatory sequences in the genome with their intrinsic regulatory properties for their own expression, making them potential factors for regulating the expression of the host genes. TE-derived cis-regulatory sites are found in promoter and enhancer elements, providing binding sites for a wide range of trans-acting factors. Second, TEs encode for regulatory RNAs with their sequences showed to be present in a substantial fraction of miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), indicating the TE origin of these RNAs. Furthermore, TEs sequences were found to be critical for regulatory functions of these RNAs, including binding to the target mRNA. TEs thus provide crucial regulatory roles by being part of cis-regulatory and regulatory RNA sequences. Moreover, both TE-derived cis-regulatory sequences and TE-derived regulatory RNAs have been implicated in providing evolutionary novelty to gene regulation. These TE-derived regulatory mechanisms also tend to function in a tissue-specific fashion. In this review, we aim to comprehensively cover the studies regarding these two aspects of TE-mediated gene regulation, mainly focusing on the mechanisms, contribution of different types of TEs, differential roles among tissue types, and lineage-specificity, based on data mostly in humans.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (4) ◽  
pp. 2011-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R Hudson

Abstract A new statistic for detecting genetic differentiation of subpopulations is described. The statistic can be calculated when genetic data are collected on individuals sampled from two or more localities. It is assumed that haplotypic data are obtained, either in the form of DNA sequences or data on many tightly linked markers. Using a symmetric island model, and assuming an infinite-sites model of mutation, it is found that the new statistic is as powerful or more powerful than previously proposed statistics for a wide range of parameter values.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison C. Cleary ◽  
Maria C. Casas ◽  
Edward G. Durbin ◽  
Jaime Gómez-Gutiérrez

AbstractThe keystone role of Antarctic krill,Euphausia superbaDana, in Southern Ocean ecosystems, means it is essential to understand the factors controlling their abundance and secondary production. One such factor that remains poorly known is the role of parasites. A recent study of krill diet using DNA analysis of gut contents provided a snapshot of the parasites present within 170E. superbaguts in a small area along the West Antarctic Peninsula. These parasites includedMetschnikowiaspp. fungi,Haptoglossasp. peronosporomycetes,LankesteriaandParalecudinaspp. apicomplexa,Stegophorussp. nematodes, andPseudocolliniaspp. ciliates. Of these parasites,Metschnikowiaspp. fungi andPseudocolliniaspp. ciliates had previously been observed inE. superba, as had other genera of apicomplexans, though notLankesteriaandParalecudina.In contrast, nematodes had previously only been observed in eggs ofE. superba, and there are no literature reports of peronosporomycetes in euphausiids.Pseudocolliniaspp., parasitoids which obligately kill their host, were the most frequently observed infection, with a prevalence of 12%. The wide range of observed parasites and the relatively high frequency of infections suggest parasites may play a more important role than previously acknowledged inE. superbaecology and population dynamics.


Genome ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 944-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinping Zhao ◽  
Gary Kochert

We have characterized a repeated DNA sequence (RTL 122) from rice (Oryza sauva L.) with respect to its organization in the rice genome and its distribution among rice and other plants. The results indicate that the RTL 122 sequence is interspersed in the rice genome and limited to the genus Oryza. It is highly polymorphic and can be used to fingerprint rice varieties. A structure was observed in which several repeated sequences were clustered in DNA regions of 15–20 kb. We characterized three bacteriophage lambda clones that contained the RTL 122 sequence. Southern analysis using probes derived from restriction fragments of the three lambda clones indicated that all fragments except one are interspersed repeated sequences and belong to different repeated sequence families. Subsequent slot blot hybridization showed that most of them are only present within the genus Oryza. Some of the Oryza-specific, physically linked sequences show the same phylogenetic distribution, which suggests that these sequences might have evolved in a coordinate fashion. On the other hand, some of the repeated sequences have a different distribution even though they are physically adjacent in the genome. We speculate that such blocks of interspersed repeated sequences may serve as hotspots for rapid changes in the rice genome.Key words: rice, Oryza, repeated sequences, DNA fingerprinting, coordinated evolution.


Nematology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieven Waeyenberge ◽  
Nicole Viaene ◽  
Maurice Moens

Abstract ITS1, the 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS2 of the rDNA region were sequenced from 20 different Pratylenchus species. Additionally, the same region was sequenced from seven populations of P. penetrans. After purifying, cloning and sequencing the PCR products, all sequences were aligned in order to find unique sites suitable for the design of species-specific primers for P. penetrans. Since ITS regions showed variability between and even within populations of P. penetrans, only three small DNA sequences were suitable for the construction of three potentially useful species-specific primers. New species-specific primers were paired with existing universal ITS primers and tested in all possible primer combinations. The best performing primer set, supplemented with a universal 28S rDNA primer set that served as an internal control, was tested in duplex PCR. The ideal annealing temperature, Mg2+ concentration and primer ratios were then determined for the most promising primer set. The optimised duplex PCR was subsequently tested on a wide range of different Pratylenchus spp. and 25 P. penetrans populations originating from all over the world. To test the sensitivity, the duplex PCR was conducted on DNA extracted from a single P. penetrans nematode mixed with varying amounts of nematodes belonging to another Pratylenchus species. Results showed that a reliable and sensitive P. penetrans species-specific duplex PCR was constructed.


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