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Redd PS, Payero L, Gilbert DM, Page CA, King R, McAssey EV, Bodie D, Diaz S, Hancock CN. Transposase expression, element abundance, element size, and DNA repair determine the mobility and heritability of PIF/ Pong/ Harbinger transposable elements. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1184046. [PMID: 37363729 PMCID: PMC10288884 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1184046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Class II DNA transposable elements account for significant portions of eukaryotic genomes and contribute to genome evolution through their mobilization. To escape inactivating mutations and persist in the host genome over evolutionary time, these elements must be mobilized enough to result in additional copies. These elements utilize a "cut and paste" transposition mechanism that does not intrinsically include replication. However, elements such as the rice derived mPing element have been observed to increase in copy number over time. Methods: We used yeast transposition assays to test several parameters that could affect the excision and insertion of mPing and its related elements. This included development of novel strategies for measuring element insertion and sequencing insertion sites. Results: Increased transposase protein expression increased the mobilization frequency of a small (430 bp) element, while overexpression inhibition was observed for a larger (7,126 bp) element. Smaller element size increased both the frequency of excision and insertion of these elements. The effect of yeast ploidy on element excision, insertion, and copy number provided evidence that homology dependent repair allows for replicative transposition. These elements were found to preferentially insert into yeast rDNA repeat sequences. Discussion: Identifying the parameters that influence transposition of these elements will facilitate their use for gene discovery and genome editing. These insights in to the behavior of these elements also provide important clues into how class II transposable elements have shaped eukaryotic genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla S. Redd
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - Lisette Payero
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - David M. Gilbert
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - Clinton A. Page
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - Reese King
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - Edward V. McAssey
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Dalton Bodie
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - Stephanie Diaz
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
| | - C. Nathan Hancock
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken, SC, United States
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Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that propagate within genomes. Through diverse invasion strategies, TEs have come to occupy a substantial fraction of nearly all eukaryotic genomes, and they represent a major source of genetic variation and novelty. Here we review the defining features of each major group of eukaryotic TEs and explore their evolutionary origins and relationships. We discuss how the unique biology of different TEs influences their propagation and distribution within and across genomes. Environmental and genetic factors acting at the level of the host species further modulate the activity, diversification, and fate of TEs, producing the dramatic variation in TE content observed across eukaryotes. We argue that cataloging TE diversity and dissecting the idiosyncratic behavior of individual elements are crucial to expanding our comprehension of their impact on the biology of genomes and the evolution of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Wells
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850; ,
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850; ,
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3
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Burgess D, Li H, Zhao M, Kim SY, Lisch D. Silencing of Mutator Elements in Maize Involves Distinct Populations of Small RNAs and Distinct Patterns of DNA Methylation. Genetics 2020; 215:379-391. [PMID: 32229532 PMCID: PMC7268996 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are a ubiquitous feature of plant genomes. Because of the threat they post to genome integrity, most TEs are epigenetically silenced. However, even closely related plant species often have dramatically different populations of TEs, suggesting periodic rounds of activity and silencing. Here, we show that the process of de novo methylation of an active element in maize involves two distinct pathways, one of which is directly implicated in causing epigenetic silencing and one of which is the result of that silencing. Epigenetic changes involve changes in gene expression that can be heritably transmitted to daughter cells in the absence of changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetics has been implicated in phenomena as diverse as development, stress response, and carcinogenesis. A significant challenge facing those interested in investigating epigenetic phenomena is determining causal relationships between DNA methylation, specific classes of small RNAs, and associated changes in gene expression. Because they are the primary targets of epigenetic silencing in plants and, when active, are often targeted for de novo silencing, TEs represent a valuable source of information about these relationships. We use a naturally occurring system in which a single TE can be heritably silenced by a single derivative of that TE. By using this system it is possible to unravel causal relationships between different size classes of small RNAs, patterns of DNA methylation, and heritable silencing. Here, we show that the long terminal inverted repeats within Zea mays MuDR transposons are targeted by distinct classes of small RNAs during epigenetic silencing that are dependent on distinct silencing pathways, only one of which is associated with transcriptional silencing of the transposon. Further, these small RNAs target distinct regions of the terminal inverted repeats, resulting in different patterns of cytosine methylation with different functional consequences with respect to epigenetic silencing and the heritability of that silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Burgess
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Hong Li
- Bayer US, Crop Science, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017
| | - Meixia Zhao
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056
| | - Sang Yeol Kim
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Damon Lisch
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
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4
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Catoni M, Jonesman T, Cerruti E, Paszkowski J. Mobilization of Pack-CACTA transposons in Arabidopsis suggests the mechanism of gene shuffling. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:1311-1320. [PMID: 30476196 PMCID: PMC6379663 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pack-TYPE transposons are a unique class of potentially mobile non-autonomous elements that can capture, merge and relocate fragments of chromosomal DNA. It has been postulated that their activity accelerates the evolution of host genes. However, this important presumption is based only on the sequences of currently inactive Pack-TYPE transposons and the acquisition of chromosomal DNA has not been recorded in real time. Analysing the DNA copy number variation in hypomethylated Arabidopsis lines, we have now for the first time witnessed the mobilization of novel Pack-TYPE elements related to the CACTA transposon family, over several plant generations. Remarkably, these elements can insert into genes as closely spaced direct repeats and they frequently undergo incomplete excisions, resulting in the deletion of one of the end sequences. These properties suggest a mechanism of efficient acquisition of genic DNA residing between neighbouring Pack-TYPE transposons and its subsequent mobilization. Our work documents crucial steps in the formation of in vivo novel Pack-TYPE transposons, and thus the possible mechanism of gene shuffling mediated by this type of mobile element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Catoni
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1LR, UK.,School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Thomas Jonesman
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1LR, UK
| | - Elisa Cerruti
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1LR, UK
| | - Jerzy Paszkowski
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1LR, UK
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5
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Spontaneous mutations in maize pollen are frequent in some lines and arise mainly from retrotranspositions and deletions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:10734-10743. [PMID: 30992374 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903809116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While studying spontaneous mutations at the maize bronze (bz) locus, we made the unexpected discovery that specific low-copy number retrotransposons are mobile in the pollen of some maize lines, but not of others. We conducted large-scale genetic experiments to isolate new bz mutations from several Bz stocks and recovered spontaneous stable mutations only in the pollen parent in reciprocal crosses. Most of the new stable bz mutations resulted from either insertions of low-copy number long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons or deletions, the same two classes of mutations that predominated in a collection of spontaneous wx mutations [Wessler S (1997) The Mutants of Maize, pp 385-386]. Similar mutations were recovered at the closely linked sh locus. These events occurred with a frequency of 2-4 × 10-5 in two lines derived from W22 and in 4Co63, but not at all in B73 or Mo17, two inbreds widely represented in Corn Belt hybrids. Surprisingly, the mutagenic LTR retrotransposons differed in the active lines, suggesting differences in the autonomous element make-up of the lines studied. Some active retrotransposons, like Hopscotch, Magellan, and Bs2, a Bs1 variant, were described previously; others, like Foto and Focou in 4Co63, were not. By high-throughput sequencing of retrotransposon junctions, we established that retrotranposition of Hopscotch, Magellan, and Bs2 occurs genome-wide in the pollen of active lines, but not in the female germline or in somatic tissues. We discuss here the implications of these results, which shed light on the source, frequency, and nature of spontaneous mutations in maize.
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Abstract
The Mutator system of transposable elements (TEs) is a highly mutagenic family of transposons in maize. Because they transpose at high rates and target genic regions, these transposons can rapidly generate large numbers of new mutants, which has made the Mutator system a favored tool for both forward and reverse mutagenesis in maize. Low copy number versions of this system have also proved to be excellent models for understanding the regulation and behavior of Class II transposons in plants. Notably, the availability of a naturally occurring locus that can heritably silence autonomous Mutator elements has provided insights into the means by which otherwise active transposons are recognized and silenced. This chapter will provide a review of the biology, regulation, evolution and uses of this remarkable transposon system, with an emphasis on recent developments in our understanding of the ways in which this TE system is recognized and epigenetically silenced as well as recent evidence that Mu-like elements (MULEs) have had a significant impact on the evolution of plant genomes.
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Zhao D, Ferguson AA, Jiang N. What makes up plant genomes: The vanishing line between transposable elements and genes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2015; 1859:366-80. [PMID: 26709091 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ultimate source of evolution is mutation. As the largest component in plant genomes, transposable elements (TEs) create numerous types of mutations that cannot be mimicked by other genetic mechanisms. When TEs insert into genomic sequences, they influence the expression of nearby genes as well as genes unlinked to the insertion. TEs can duplicate, mobilize, and recombine normal genes or gene fragments, with the potential to generate new genes or modify the structure of existing genes. TEs also donate their transposase coding regions for cellular functions in a process called TE domestication. Despite the host defense against TE activity, a subset of TEs survived and thrived through discreet selection of transposition activity, target site, element size, and the internal sequence. Finally, TEs have established strategies to reduce the efficacy of host defense system by increasing the cost of silencing TEs. This review discusses the recent progress in the area of plant TEs with a focus on the interaction between TEs and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyan Zhao
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ann A Ferguson
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ning Jiang
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Yang G, Fattash I, Lee CN, Liu K, Cavinder B. Birth of three stowaway-like MITE families via microhomology-mediated miniaturization of a Tc1/Mariner element in the yellow fever mosquito. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 5:1937-48. [PMID: 24068652 PMCID: PMC3814204 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes contain numerous DNA transposons that move by a cut-and-paste mechanism. The majority of these elements are self-insufficient and dependent on their autonomous relatives to transpose. Miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are often the most numerous nonautonomous DNA elements in a higher eukaryotic genome. Little is known about the origin of these MITE families as few of them are accompanied by their direct ancestral elements in a genome. Analyses of MITEs in the yellow fever mosquito identified its youngest MITE family, designated as Gnome, that contains at least 116 identical copies. Genome-wide search for direct ancestral autonomous elements of Gnome revealed an elusive single copy Tc1/Mariner-like element, named as Ozma, that encodes a transposase with a DD37E triad motif. Strikingly, Ozma also gave rise to two additional MITE families, designated as Elf and Goblin. These three MITE families were derived at different times during evolution and bear internal sequences originated from different regions of Ozma. Upon close inspection of the sequence junctions, the internal deletions during the formation of these three MITE families always occurred between two microhomologous sites (6–8 bp). These results suggest that multiple MITE families may originate from a single ancestral autonomous element, and formation of MITEs can be mediated by sequence microhomology. Ozma and its related MITEs are exceptional candidates for the long sought-after endogenous active transposon tool in genetic control of mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guojun Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- *Corresponding author: E-mail:
| | - Isam Fattash
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chia-Ni Lee
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside
| | - Brad Cavinder
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of California Riverside
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9
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Campos-Sánchez R, Kapusta A, Feschotte C, Chiaromonte F, Makova KD. Genomic landscape of human, bat, and ex vivo DNA transposon integrations. Mol Biol Evol 2014; 31:1816-32. [PMID: 24809961 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msu138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration and fixation preferences of DNA transposons, one of the major classes of eukaryotic transposable elements, have never been evaluated comprehensively on a genome-wide scale. Here, we present a detailed study of the distribution of DNA transposons in the human and bat genomes. We studied three groups of DNA transposons that integrated at different evolutionary times: 1) ancient (>40 My) and currently inactive human elements, 2) younger (<40 My) bat elements, and 3) ex vivo integrations of piggyBat and Sleeping Beauty elements in HeLa cells. Although the distribution of ex vivo elements reflected integration preferences, the distribution of human and (to a lesser extent) bat elements was also affected by selection. We used regression techniques (linear, negative binomial, and logistic regression models with multiple predictors) applied to 20-kb and 1-Mb windows to investigate how the genomic landscape in the vicinity of DNA transposons contributes to their integration and fixation. Our models indicate that genomic landscape explains 16-79% of variability in DNA transposon genome-wide distribution. Importantly, we not only confirmed previously identified predictors (e.g., DNA conformation and recombination hotspots) but also identified several novel predictors (e.g., signatures of double-strand breaks and telomere hexamer). Ex vivo integrations showed a bias toward actively transcribed regions. Older DNA transposons were located in genomic regions scarce in most conserved elements-likely reflecting purifying selection. Our study highlights how DNA transposons are integral to the evolution of bat and human genomes, and has implications for the development of DNA transposon assays for gene therapy and mutagenesis applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Campos-Sánchez
- Genetics Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA
| | - Aurélie Kapusta
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Francesca Chiaromonte
- Center for Medical Genomics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PADepartment of Statistics, Penn State University, University Park, PA
| | - Kateryna D Makova
- Center for Medical Genomics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PADepartment of Biology, Penn State University, University Park, PA
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Li Y, Harris L, Dooner HK. TED, an autonomous and rare maize transposon of the mutator superfamily with a high gametophytic excision frequency. THE PLANT CELL 2013; 25:3251-65. [PMID: 24038653 PMCID: PMC3809530 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.116517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Mutator (Mu) elements, one of the most diverse superfamilies of DNA transposons, are found in all eukaryotic kingdoms, but are particularly numerous in plants. Most of the present knowledge on the transposition behavior of this superfamily comes from studies of the maize (Zea mays) Mu elements, whose transposition is mediated by the autonomous Mutator-Don Robertson (MuDR) element. Here, we describe the maize element TED (for Transposon Ellen Dempsey), an autonomous cousin that differs significantly from MuDR. Element excision and reinsertion appear to require both proteins encoded by MuDR, but only the single protein encoded by TED. Germinal excisions, rare with MuDR, are common with TED, but arise in one of the mitotic divisions of the gametophyte, rather than at meiosis. Instead, transposition-deficient elements arise at meiosis, suggesting that the double-strand breaks produced by element excision are repaired differently in mitosis and meiosis. Unlike MuDR, TED is a very low-copy transposon whose number and activity do not undergo dramatic changes upon inbreeding or outcrossing. Like MuDR, TED transposes mostly to unlinked sites and can form circular transposition products. Sequences closer to TED than to MuDR were detected only in the grasses, suggesting a rather recent evolutionary split from a common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubin Li
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Linda Harris
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6
| | - Hugo K. Dooner
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
- Address correspondence to
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11
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Abstract
The Mutator system has proved to be an invaluable tool for elucidating gene function via insertional mutagenesis. Its high copy number, high transposition frequency, relative lack of insertion specificity, and ease of use has made it the preferred method for gene tagging in maize. Recent advances in high throughput sequencing of insertion sites, combined with the availability of large numbers of pre-mutagenized and sequence-indexed stocks, ensure that this resource will only be more useful in the years ahead. Muk is a locus that can silence Mu-active lines, making it possible to ameliorate the phenotypic effects of high numbers of active Mu transposons and reduce the copy number of these elements during introgressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon Lisch
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Huang JT, Dooner HK. The spectrum and frequency of self-inflicted and host gene mutations produced by the transposon Ac in maize. THE PLANT CELL 2012; 24:4149-4162. [PMID: 23110898 PMCID: PMC3517242 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.112.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The autonomous transposon Activator (Ac) is a powerful mutagen. Ac-induced mutations range from small footprints of host sequences to large rearrangements of transposon or host sequences. These mutations arise by different repair mechanisms of the double-strand break produced by Ac excision: footprints by nonhomologous end joining and rearrangements by various mechanisms, including DNA replication repair. Footprints greatly outnumber other mutations, masking them because they usually share a nonfunctional phenotype. To determine the spectrum and frequencies of host and self-mutations generated by Ac, we used an allele harboring Ac in the 5' untranslated region bronze (bz). In this system, simple excisions produce purple revertants, whereas deletions of host or transposon sequences produce stable bronze (bz-s) mutants. Internal and terminal deletions of Ac predominated among the 72 bz-s derivatives. Most internal deletions (52 of 54) behaved as nonautonomous Dissociation (Ds) elements. All nine terminal deletions or fractured Ac (fAc) elements had rearrangements of adjacent host sequences. Most Ds and fAc deletion junctions displayed microhomologies and contained filler DNA from nearby sequences, suggesting an origin by DNA repair synthesis followed by microhomology-mediated end joining. All mutations occurred more frequently in pollen, where one in 200 grains carried new Ds or fAc elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun T. Huang
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
| | - Hugo K. Dooner
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
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Goettel W, Messing J. Change of gene structure and function by non-homologous end-joining, homologous recombination, and transposition of DNA. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000516. [PMID: 19521498 PMCID: PMC2686159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2009] [Accepted: 05/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An important objective in genome research is to relate genome structure to gene function. Sequence comparisons among orthologous and paralogous genes and their allelic variants can reveal sequences of functional significance. Here, we describe a 379-kb region on chromosome 1 of maize that enables us to reconstruct chromosome breakage, transposition, non-homologous end-joining, and homologous recombination events. Such a high-density composition of various mechanisms in a small chromosomal interval exemplifies the evolution of gene regulation and allelic diversity in general. It also illustrates the evolutionary pace of changes in plants, where many of the above mechanisms are of somatic origin. In contrast to animals, somatic alterations can easily be transmitted through meiosis because the germline in plants is contiguous to somatic tissue, permitting the recovery of such chromosomal rearrangements. The analyzed region contains the P1-wr allele, a variant of the genetically well-defined p1 gene, which encodes a Myb-like transcriptional activator in maize. The P1-wr allele consists of eleven nearly perfect P1-wr 12-kb repeats that are arranged in a tandem head-to-tail array. Although a technical challenge to sequence such a structure by shotgun sequencing, we overcame this problem by subcloning each repeat and ordering them based on nucleotide variations. These polymorphisms were also critical for recombination and expression analysis in presence and absence of the trans-acting epigenetic factor Ufo1. Interestingly, chimeras of the p1 and p2 genes, p2/p1 and p1/p2, are framing the P1-wr cluster. Reconstruction of sequence amplification steps at the p locus showed the evolution from a single Myb-homolog to the multi-gene P1-wr cluster. It also demonstrates how non-homologous end-joining can create novel gene fusions. Comparisons to orthologous regions in sorghum and rice also indicate a greater instability of the maize genome, probably due to diploidization following allotetraploidization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Goettel
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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14
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Interactions of Transposons with the Cellular DNA Repair Machinery. TRANSPOSONS AND THE DYNAMIC GENOME 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/7050_2008_043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Abstract
Transposable elements are mobile genetic units that exhibit broad diversity in their structure and transposition mechanisms. Transposable elements occupy a large fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and their movement and accumulation represent a major force shaping the genes and genomes of almost all organisms. This review focuses on DNA-mediated or class 2 transposons and emphasizes how this class of elements is distinguished from other types of mobile elements in terms of their structure, amplification dynamics, and genomic effect. We provide an up-to-date outlook on the diversity and taxonomic distribution of all major types of DNA transposons in eukaryotes, including Helitrons and Mavericks. We discuss some of the evolutionary forces that influence their maintenance and diversification in various genomic environments. Finally, we highlight how the distinctive biological features of DNA transposons have contributed to shape genome architecture and led to the emergence of genetic innovations in different eukaryotic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.
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Abstract
Rates of Mu transposon insertions and excisions are both high in late somatic cells of maize. In contrast, although high rates of insertions are observed in germinal cells, germinal excisions are recovered only rarely. Plants doubly homozygous for deletion alleles of rad51A1 and rad51A2 do not encode functional RAD51 protein (RAD51-). Approximately 1% of the gametes from RAD51+ plants that carry the MuDR-insertion allele a1-m5216 include at least partial deletions of MuDR and the a1 gene. The structures of these deletions suggest they arise via the repair of MuDR-induced double-strand breaks via nonhomologous end joining. In RAD51- plants these germinal deletions are recovered at rates that are at least 40-fold higher. These rates are not substantially affected by the presence or absence of an a1-containing homolog. Together, these findings indicate that in RAD51+ germinal cells MuDR-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) are efficiently repaired via RAD51-directed homologous recombination with the sister chromatid. This suggests that RAD51- plants may offer an efficient means to generate deletion alleles for functional genomic studies. Additionally, the high proportion of Mu-active, RAD51- plants that exhibit severe developmental defects suggest that RAD51 plays a critical role in the repair of MuDR-induced DSBs early in vegetative development.
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Conrad LJ, Bai L, Ahern K, Dusinberre K, Kane DP, Brutnell TP. State II dissociation element formation following activator excision in maize. Genetics 2007; 177:737-47. [PMID: 17720925 PMCID: PMC2034639 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.075770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Active Activator (Ac) elements undergo mutations to become nonautonomous Dissociation (Ds) elements at a low frequency. To understand the mechanism of Ds formation, we have developed high-throughput genetic and molecular screens to identify these rare Ds derivatives generated from any Ac insertion in the maize genome. Using these methods we have identified 15 new Ds elements derived from Ac insertions at eight different loci. Approximately half of the Ds elements contain filler DNA inserted at the deletion junction that is derived from sequences within or adjacent to Ac. In contrast to previous reports, several of these Ds elements lack direct repeats flanking the deletion junctions and filler DNA in the donor Ac. To accommodate our findings and those of others, we propose a model of slip mispairing during error-prone repair synthesis to explain the formation of state II Ds elements in maize. We discuss the use of these lines and molecular techniques developed here to capture somatic Ds transposition events in two-component Ac/Ds tagging programs in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza J Conrad
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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18
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Yandeau-Nelson MD, Xia Y, Li J, Neuffer MG, Schnable PS. Unequal sister chromatid and homolog recombination at a tandem duplication of the A1 locus in maize. Genetics 2006; 173:2211-26. [PMID: 16751673 PMCID: PMC1569709 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.105.052712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tandemly arrayed duplicate genes are prevalent. The maize A1-b haplotype is a tandem duplication that consists of the components, alpha and beta. The rate of meiotic unequal recombination at A1-b is ninefold higher when a homolog is present than when it is absent (i.e., hemizygote). When a sequence heterologous homolog is available, 94% of recombinants (264/281) are generated via recombination with the homolog rather than with the sister chromatid. In addition, 83% (220/264) of homolog recombination events involved alpha rather than beta. These results indicate that: (1) the homolog is the preferred template for unequal recombination and (2) pairing of the duplicated segments with the homolog does not occur randomly but instead favors a particular configuration. The choice of recombination template (i.e., homolog vs. sister chromatid) affects the distribution of recombination breakpoints within a1. Rates of unequal recombination at A1-b are similar to the rate of recombination between nonduplicated a1 alleles. Unequal recombination is therefore common and is likely to be responsible for the generation of genetic variability, even within inbred lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marna D Yandeau-Nelson
- Interdepartmental Genetics Program, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Department, Center for Plant Genomics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011, USA
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19
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Yandeau-Nelson MD, Zhou Q, Yao H, Xu X, Nikolau BJ, Schnable PS. MuDR transposase increases the frequency of meiotic crossovers in the vicinity of a Mu insertion in the maize a1 gene. Genetics 2005; 169:917-29. [PMID: 15489518 PMCID: PMC1449141 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.104.035089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2004] [Accepted: 10/19/2004] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although DNA breaks stimulate mitotic recombination in plants, their effects on meiotic recombination are not known. Recombination across a maize a1 allele containing a nonautonomous Mu transposon was studied in the presence and absence of the MuDR-encoded transposase. Recombinant A1' alleles isolated from a1-mum2/a1::rdt heterozygotes arose via either crossovers (32 CO events) or noncrossovers (8 NCO events). In the presence of MuDR, the rate of COs increased fourfold. This increase is most likely a consequence of the repair of MuDR-induced DNA breaks at the Mu1 insertion in a1-mum2. Hence, this study provides the first in vivo evidence that DNA breaks stimulate meiotic crossovers in plants. The distribution of recombination breakpoints is not affected by the presence of MuDR in that 19 of 24 breakpoints isolated from plants that carried MuDR mapped to a previously defined 377-bp recombination hotspot. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that the DNA breaks that initiate recombination at a1 cluster at its 5' end. Conversion tracts associated with eight NCO events ranged in size from <700 bp to >1600 bp. This study also establishes that MuDR functions during meiosis and that ratios of CO/NCO vary among genes and can be influenced by genetic background.
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20
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Kawasaki S, Nitasaka E. Characterization of Tpn1 Family in the Japanese Morning Glory: En/Spm-related Transposable Elements Capturing Host Genes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 45:933-44. [PMID: 15295077 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pch109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Some mutant phenotypes are known to be unstable somatically and germinally due to the insertion of transposable elements in the Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil). Several transposable elements that cause mutable phenotypes have recently been isolated. All of these elements show characteristic features of the En/Spm (Enhancer/Suppressor-mutator) or CACTA family. They carry common 28 bp terminal inverted repeats and subterminal repetitive regions and are known as the Tpn1 family. All of these elements are thought to be non-autonomous and mobilized by unidentified autonomous element(s). Using a probe corresponding to the subterminal region, we isolated many genomic Tpn clones, 120 of which were classified into 28 types based on their restriction maps. The copy number of the Tpn1 family was estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 copies per haploid genome. We then determined the complete sequences of 28 representative clones from each Tpn type. Most Tpn elements showed a high degree of similarity to plant genes in their internal sequences, suggesting that the Tpn1 family captured host gene sequences during the process of evolution. Detailed analyses of Tpn104 in comparison with an orthologous host gene InAP2B confirmed this assumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Kawasaki
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8581 Japan
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21
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Feschotte C. Merlin, a new superfamily of DNA transposons identified in diverse animal genomes and related to bacterial IS1016 insertion sequences. Mol Biol Evol 2004; 21:1769-80. [PMID: 15190130 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msh188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several new families of DNA transposons were identified by computer-assisted searches in a wide range of animal species that includes nematodes, flat worms, mosquitoes, sea squirt, zebrafish, and humans. Many of these elements have coding capacity for transposases, which are related to each other and to those encoded by the IS1016 group of bacterial insertion sequences. Although these transposases display a motif similar to the DDE motif found in many transposases and integrases, they cannot be directly allied to any of the previously described eukaryotic transposases. Other common features of the new eukaryotic and bacterial transposons include similarities in their terminal inverted repeats and 8-bp or 9-bp target-site duplications. Together, these data indicate that these elements belong to a new superfamily of DNA transposons, called Merlin/IS1016, which is common in many eubacterial and animal genomes. We also present evidence that these transposons have been recently active in several animal species. This evidence is particularly strong in the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, in which Merlin is also the first described DNA transposon family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Feschotte
- Departments of Plant Biology and Genetics, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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22
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Cheng YM, Lin BY. Molecular Organization of Large Fragments in the Maize B Chromosome: Indication of a Novel Repeat. Genetics 2004. [DOI: 10.1093/genetics/166.4.1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The supernumerary B chromosome has no apparent effects on plant growth, and its molecular makeup is difficult to unravel, due to its high homology to the normal complement, which prevents conventional cloning. This difficulty was overcome previously by microdissecting the B chromosome under the microscope to result in 19 B clones, one of which is B specific and highly repetitive, dispersing over one-third of the B long arm and most regions of the centromeric knob. To gain insights into the molecular structure of the B chromosome, this sequence was used to screen a genomic library constructed from W22 carrying 16 B’s. Five clones (>10 kb each) were isolated, and all were repetitive, showing homology with A chromosomes in Southern and FISH analyses. Two of them were further characterized and sequenced. Each is composed of several restriction fragments with variable degrees of repetitiveness. Some of these are B specific and others have variable degrees of homology with the A chromosomes. The order of each characteristic group is not contiguous; they intersperse within those of other groups. Sequence analysis reveals that their sequences (∼26 kb) have no homology with any published gene other than sequences of transposable elements (retrotransposons and MITEs) and the B as well as the A centromeres. We uncovered a 1.6-kb CL-repeat sequence, seven units of which were present in the two clones in defective forms. Those repeats mostly arrange in tandem array in the B chromosome. Moreover, we detected transposition of a retrotransposon and a MITE element involved in the genesis of these two sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ming Cheng
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Bor-Yaw Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, Republic of China
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23
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Yu J, Marshall K, Yamaguchi M, Haber JE, Weil CF. Microhomology-dependent end joining and repair of transposon-induced DNA hairpins by host factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol 2004; 24:1351-64. [PMID: 14729978 PMCID: PMC321453 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.24.3.1351-1364.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2003] [Revised: 10/15/2003] [Accepted: 10/31/2003] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The maize, cut-and-paste transposon Ac/Ds is mobile in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and DNA sequences of repair products provide strong genetic evidence that hairpin intermediates form in host DNA during this transposition, similar to those formed for V(D)J coding joints in vertebrates. Both DNA strands must be broken for Ac/Ds to excise, suggesting that double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways should be involved in repair of excision sites. In the absence of homologous template, as expected, Ac excisions are repaired by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) that can involve microhomologies close to the broken ends. However, unlike repair of endonuclease-induced DSBs, repair of Ac excisions in the presence of homologous template occurs by gene conversion only about half the time, the remainder being NHEJ events. Analysis of transposition in mutant yeast suggests roles for the Mre11/Rad50 complex, SAE2, NEJ1, and the Ku complex in repair of excision sites. Separation-of-function alleles of MRE11 suggest that its endonuclease function is more important in this repair than either its exonuclease or Rad50-binding properties. In addition, the interstrand cross-link repair gene PSO2 plays a role in end joining hairpin ends that is not seen in repair of linearized plasmids and may be involved in positioning transposase cleavage at the transposon ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Yu
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1150, USA
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24
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Kim SH, Walbot V. Deletion derivatives of the MuDR regulatory transposon of maize encode antisense transcripts but are not dominant-negative regulators of mutator activities. THE PLANT CELL 2003; 15:2430-47. [PMID: 14508005 PMCID: PMC197307 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.014605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2003] [Accepted: 08/13/2003] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The maize MuDR/Mu transposable elements are highly aggressive, and their activities are held in check by host developmental and epigenetic mechanisms. The Mutator regulatory element, MuDR, produces both sense and antisense transcripts. We have investigated the impact of the presence of antisense transcripts on the abundance of the corresponding sense messages and on the regulation of Mutator activities. We report that internal deletions in MuDR arise frequently in somatic tissues; preferential loss of the 3' untranslated region of mudrA and/or mudrB containing the intergenic region is correlated with chimeric sense mudrA/antisense mudrB and sense mudrB/antisense mudrA transcripts. Heritable internal deletions are extremely frequent (>10(-2) per element), and the resulting defective MuDR elements also encode antisense transcripts. Expression of endogenous or additional transgene-encoded antisense transcripts neither decreases sense transcript levels nor inhibits Mutator excision activity over the three generations examined. We propose that antisense transcripts produced by MuDR deletions are not dominant-negative regulators of Mutator activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-Hwan Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5020, USA.
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25
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Cui X, Hsia AP, Liu F, Ashlock DA, Wise RP, Schnable PS. Alternative transcription initiation sites and polyadenylation sites are recruited during Mu suppression at the rf2a locus of maize. Genetics 2003; 163:685-98. [PMID: 12618406 PMCID: PMC1462470 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/163.2.685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Even in the absence of excisional loss of the associated Mu transposons, some Mu-induced mutant alleles of maize can lose their capacity to condition a mutant phenotype. Three of five Mu-derived rf2a alleles are susceptible to such Mu suppression. The suppressible rf2a-m9437 allele has a novel Mu transposon insertion (Mu10) in its 5' untranslated region (UTR). The suppressible rf2a-m9390 allele has a Mu1 insertion in its 5' UTR. During suppression, alternative transcription initiation sites flanking the Mu1 transposon yield functional transcripts. The suppressible rf2a-m8110 allele has an rcy/Mu7 insertion in its 3' UTR. Suppression of this allele occurs via a previously unreported mechanism; sequences in the terminal inverted repeats of rcy/Mu7 function as alternative polyadenylation sites such that the suppressed rf2a-m8110 allele yields functional rf2a transcripts. No significant differences were observed in the nucleotide compositions of these alternative polyadenylation sites as compared with 94 other polyadenylation sites from maize genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangqin Cui
- Interdepartmental Genetics Program, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, USA
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26
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Abstract
Mutator (Mu) element insertion has become the main way of mutating and cloning maize genes, but we are only beginning to understand how this transposon system is regulated. Mu elements are under tight developmental control and are subject to a form of epigenetic regulation that shares some features with the regulation of paramutable maize genes. Mu-like elements (MULEs) are widespread among angiosperms, and multiple diverged functional variants appear to have coexisted in genomes for long periods. In addition to its utility, the means by which this widespread and highly mutagenic system is held in check should help us to address fundamental issues concerning the stability of genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damon Lisch
- Dept Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California at Berkeley, 94720, USA.
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27
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Dietrich CR, Cui F, Packila ML, Li J, Ashlock DA, Nikolau BJ, Schnable PS. Maize Mu transposons are targeted to the 5' untranslated region of the gl8 gene and sequences flanking Mu target-site duplications exhibit nonrandom nucleotide composition throughout the genome. Genetics 2002; 160:697-716. [PMID: 11861572 PMCID: PMC1461997 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/160.2.697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The widespread use of the maize Mutator (Mu) system to generate mutants exploits the preference of Mu transposons to insert into genic regions. However, little is known about the specificity of Mu insertions within genes. Analysis of 79 independently isolated Mu-induced alleles at the gl8 locus established that at least 75 contain Mu insertions. Analysis of the terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) of the inserted transposons defined three new Mu transposons: Mu10, Mu 11, and Mu12. A large percentage (>80%) of the insertions are located in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the gl8 gene. Ten positions within the 5' UTR experienced multiple independent Mu insertions. Analyses of the nucleotide composition of the 9-bp TSD and the sequences directly flanking the TSD reveals that the nucleotide composition of Mu insertion sites differs dramatically from that of random DNA. In particular, the frequencies at which C's and G's are observed at positions -2 and +2 (relative to the TSD) are substantially higher than expected. Insertion sites of 315 RescueMu insertions displayed the same nonrandom nucleotide composition observed for the gl8-Mu alleles. Hence, this study provides strong evidence for the involvement of sequences flanking the TSD in Mu insertion-site selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Dietrich
- Interdepartmental Plant Physiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
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28
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Abstract
Impala is an active DNA transposon family that was first identified in a strain of Fusarium oxysporum pathogenic to melon. The 10 copies present in this strain define three subfamilies that differ by about 20% at the nucleotide level. This high level of polymorphism suggests the existence of an ancestral polymorphism associated with vertical transmission and/or the introduction of some subfamilies by horizontal transfer from another species. To gain insights into the molecular evolution of this family, impala distribution was investigated in strains with various host specificities by Southern blot, PCR, and sequencing. Detection of impala elements in most of the F. oxysporum strains tested indicates that impala is an ancient component of the F. oxysporum genome. Subfamily-specific amplifications and sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed five subfamilies, several of which can be found within the same genome. This supports the hypothesis of an ancestral polymorphism followed by vertical transmission and independent evolution in the host-specific forms. Highly similar elements showing unique features (internal deletions, high rates of CG-to-TA transitions) or being present at the same genomic location were identified in several strains with different host specificities, raising questions about the phylogenetic relationships of these strains. A phylogenetic analysis performed by sequencing a portion of the EF1alpha gene showed in most cases a correlation between the presence of a particular element and a close genetic relationship. All of these data provide important information on the evolutionary origin of this element and reveal its potential as a valuable tool for tracing populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hua-Van
- Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
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29
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Raizada MN, Nan GL, Walbot V. Somatic and germinal mobility of the RescueMu transposon in transgenic maize. THE PLANT CELL 2001; 13:1587-608. [PMID: 11449053 PMCID: PMC139541 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2001] [Accepted: 04/20/2001] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
RescueMu, a Mu1 element containing a bacterial plasmid, is mobilized by MuDR in transgenic maize. Somatic excision from a cell-autonomous marker gene yields >90% single cell sectors; empty donor sites often have deletions and insertions, including up to 210 bp of RescueMu/Mu1 terminal DNA. Late somatic insertions are contemporaneous with excisions, suggesting that "cut-and-paste" transposition occurs in the soma. During reproduction, RescueMu transposes infrequently from the initial transgene array, but once transposed, RescueMu is suitable for high throughput gene mutation and cloning. As with MuDR/Mu elements, heritable RescueMu insertions are not associated with excisions. Both somatic and germinal RescueMu insertions occur preferentially into genes and gene-like sequences, but they exhibit weak target site preferences. New insights into Mu behaviors are discussed with reference to two models proposed to explain the alternative outcomes of somatic and germinal events: a switch from somatic cut-and-paste to germinal replicative transposition or to host-mediated gap repair from sister chromatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Raizada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
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30
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Raizada MN, Walbot V. The late developmental pattern of Mu transposon excision is conferred by a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S -driven MURA cDNA in transgenic maize. THE PLANT CELL 2000; 12:5-21. [PMID: 10634904 PMCID: PMC140211 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.12.1.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/1999] [Accepted: 11/06/1999] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The MuDR element responsible for Mutator activities in maize encodes two genes, mudrA and mudrB. Each encodes multiple transcripts hypothesized to regulate, directly or indirectly, the unique late timing and switch in transposition mechanism during maize development. mudrA, which encodes the MURA transposase, is unstable in bacterial plasmids, a technical problem solved by using phage M13 as a vector to prepare DNA for biolistic transformation. In transgenic maize, a single 2.7-kb mudrA cDNA predicted to encode an 823-amino acid protein is sufficient to catalyze late somatic excisions, despite removal of the native promoter, alternative transcription start sites, known introns, polymorphic 5' and 3' untranslated sequences, and the mudrB gene. These results suggest that post-translational regulation confers Mu excision timing. The transgene is active in lines containing silencing MuDR elements. This suggests that endogenous MuDR transposons do not measurably immunize the host against expression of a homologous transgene.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Raizada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
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31
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Yamashita S, Takano-Shimizu T, Kitamura K, Mikami T, Kishima Y. Resistance to gap repair of the transposon Tam3 in Antirrhinum majus: a role of the end regions. Genetics 1999; 153:1899-908. [PMID: 10581294 PMCID: PMC1460842 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/153.4.1899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The extremely homogeneous organization of the transposon family Tam3 in Antirrhinum majus is in sharp contrast to the heterogeneity of the copies constituting many other transposon families. To address the issue of the Tam3 structural uniformity, we examined two possibilities: (1) recent invasion of Tam3 and (2) failure of gap repair, which is involved in conversion from autonomous forms to defective forms. The phylogenetic analysis of 17 Tam3 copies suggested that the invasion of Tam3 into the Antirrhinum genome occurred at least 5 mya, which is sufficiently long ago to have produced many aberrant copies by gap repair. Thus, we investigated gap repair events at the nivea(recurrens:Tam3) (niv(rec)::Tam3) allele, where Tam3 is actively excised. We show here that the gap repair of de novo somatic Tam3 excision was arrested immediately after initiation of the process. All of the identified gap repair products were short stretches, no longer than 150 bp from the ends. The Tam3 ends have hairpin structures with low free energies. We observed that the gap repair halted within the hairpin structure regions. Such small gap repair products appear to be distributed in the Antirrhinum genome, but are unlikely to be active. Our data strongly suggest that the structural homogeneity of Tam3 was caused by immunity to gap repair at the hairpins in both of the end regions. The frequency of extensive gap repair of de novo excision products in eukaryotic transposons was found to be correlated with the free energies of the secondary structures in the end regions. This fact suggests that the fates of transposon families might depend on the structures of their ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Yamashita
- Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan
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32
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Yan X, Martínez-Férez IM, Kavchok S, Dooner HK. Origination of Ds elements from Ac elements in maize: evidence for rare repair synthesis at the site of Ac excision. Genetics 1999; 152:1733-40. [PMID: 10430597 PMCID: PMC1460708 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/152.4.1733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it has been known for some time that the maize transposon Ac can mutate to Ds by undergoing internal deletions, the mechanism by which these mutations arise has remained conjectural. To gain further insight into this mechanism in maize we have studied a series of Ds elements that originated de novo from Ac elements at known locations in the genome. We present evidence that new, internally deleted Ds elements can arise at the Ac donor site when Ac transposes to another site in the genome. However, internal deletions are rare relative to Ac excision footprints, the predominant products of Ac transposition. We have characterized the deletion junctions in five new Ds elements. Short direct repeats of variable length occur adjacent to the deletion junction in three of the five Ds derivatives. In the remaining two, extra sequences or filler DNA is inserted at the junction. The filler DNAs are identical to sequences found close to the junction in the Ac DNA, where they are flanked by the same sequences that flank the filler DNA in the deletion. These findings are explained most simply by a mechanism involving error-prone DNA replication as an occasional alternative to end-joining in the repair of Ac-generated double-strand breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Yan
- The Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855, USA
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33
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van Houwelingen A, Souer E, Mol J, Koes R. Epigenetic interactions among three dTph1 transposons in two homologous chromosomes activate a new excision-repair mechanism in petunia. THE PLANT CELL 1999; 11:1319-36. [PMID: 10402432 PMCID: PMC144270 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.11.7.1319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Unstable anthocyanin3 (an3) alleles of petunia with insertions of the Activator/Dissociation-like transposon dTph1 fall into two classes that differ in their genetic behavior. Excision of the (single) dTph1 insertion from class 1 an3 alleles results in the formation of a footprint, similar to the "classical" mechanism observed for excisions of maize and snapdragon transposons. By contrast, dTph1 excision and gap repair in class 2 an3 alleles occurs via a newly discovered mechanism that does not generate a footprint at the empty donor site. This novel mechanism depends on the presence of two additional dTph1 elements: one located in cis, 30 bp upstream of the an3 translation start in the same an3 allele, and a homologous copy, which is located in trans in the homologous an3 allele. Absence of the latter dTph1 element causes a heritable suppression of dTph1 excision-repair from the homologous an3 allele by the novel mechanism, which to some extent resembles paramutation. Thus, an epigenetic interaction among three dTph1 copies activates a novel recombination mechanism that eliminates a transposon insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A van Houwelingen
- Department of Genetics, Institute for Molecular Biological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, BioCentrum Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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34
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Kishima Y, Yamashita S, Martin C, Mikami T. Structural conservation of the transposon Tam3 family in Antirrhinum majus and estimation of the number of copies able to transpose. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 1999; 39:299-308. [PMID: 10080696 DOI: 10.1023/a:1006129413306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the organization of the transposon Tam3 family in Antirrhinum majus. Genomic hybridization experiments and characterization of 40 independent Tam3 clones isolated from an A. majus plant revealed that the Tam3 family is quite conserved and the copy sizes are uniform. We did not find any copy with a deleted internal sequence, unlike what is usually observed in other transposons. This exceptionally conserved structure of the Tam3 family was confirmed by PCR and sequencing analyses. Sequencing analysis identified eight copies with sequences completely identical to that of the Tam3 transposase gene. These results suggested that a considerable number of autonomous Tam3 copies are present in the genome of A. majus. Among 24 copies which are surrounded by single copy regions of the genome, 14 copies are present as specific insertions in the line which we used, but absent in other lines. These copies are therefore predicted to be movable. If this ratio is the same for all Tam3 copies in a genome, then a maximum of 60% of the copies are estimated to be movable in the genome. The relatively high frequency of gene tagged by Tam3 might reflect the large number of movable copies in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Kishima
- Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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35
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Lisch D, Girard L, Donlin M, Freeling M. Functional analysis of deletion derivatives of the maize transposon MuDR delineates roles for the MURA and MURB proteins. Genetics 1999; 151:331-41. [PMID: 9872971 PMCID: PMC1460458 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/151.1.331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulatory transposon of the Mutator system of transposable elements in maize is MuDR. MuDR elements produce two transcripts, from genes mudrA and mudrB, encoding proteins MURA and MURB, respectively. Like many other transposons, MuDR elements often undergo deletions, usually of internal sequences. Analysis of a deletion that is restricted to the region encoding MURB demonstrates that this gene is not required to cause excisions of a reporter element, although it may be required for transposition or suppression of suppressible alleles. Conversely, a derivative that lacks the region encoding MURA but that produces MURB is nonfunctional for all aspects of Mutator activity. Northern analysis of these derivatives reveals that each of the two transcripts can be independently transcribed, and analysis using an antibody specific for MURB reveals that mudrB transcript can also be successfully translated and its product appropriately localized in the absence of mudrA. A third deletion derivative provides evidence for a source of previously reported antisense transcript.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Lisch
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94620, USA.
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de la Luz Gutiérrez-Nava M, Warren CA, León P, Walbot V. Transcriptionally active MuDR, the regulatory element of the mutator transposable element family of Zea mays, is present in some accessions of the Mexican land race Zapalote chico. Genetics 1998; 149:329-46. [PMID: 9584107 PMCID: PMC1460140 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/149.1.329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, mobile Mu transposons and their autonomous regulator MuDR have been found only in the two known Mutator lines of maize and their immediate descendants. To gain insight into the origin, organization, and regulation of Mutator elements, we surveyed exotic maize and related species for cross-hybridization to MuDR. Some accessions of the mexican land race Zapalote chico contain one to several copies of full-length, unmethylated, and transcriptionally active MuDR-like elements plus non-autonomous Mu elements. The sequenced 5.0-kb MuDR-Zc element is 94.6% identical to MuDR, with only 20 amino acid changes in the 93-kD predicted protein encoded by mudrA and ten amino acid changes in the 23-kD predicted protein of mudrB. The terminal inverted repeat (TIR) A of MuDR-Zc is identical to standard MuDR; TIRB is 11.2% divergent from TIRA. In Zapalote chico, mudrA transcripts are very rare, while mudrB transcripts are as abundant as in Mutator lines with a few copies of MuDR. Zapalote chico lines with MuDR-like elements can trans-activate reporter alleles in inactive Mutator backgrounds; they match the characteristic increased forward mutation frequency of standard Mutator lines, but only after outcrossing to another line. Zapalote chico accessions that lack MuDR-like elements and the single copy MuDR a1-mum2 line produce few mutations. New mutants recovered from Zapalote chico are somatically stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M de la Luz Gutiérrez-Nava
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Apdo. 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62271, México
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Abstract
Meiotic recombination generates novel allelic arrays on chromosomes. Recent experiments have revealed an extraordinarily nonrandom distribution of recombination breakpoints along the lengths of plant chromosomes; for example, recombination breakpoints often resolve within genic sequences, and thereby generate novel alleles. The mechanism by which recombination breakpoints are determined is an area of active investigation. In addition, recent developments are providing recombination-based technologies for creating targeted alterations in the architecture of plant genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- P S Schnable
- Department of Agronomy, lowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
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Mathern J, Hake S. Mu element-generated gene conversions in maize attenuate the dominant knotted phenotype. Genetics 1997; 147:305-14. [PMID: 9286690 PMCID: PMC1208114 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/147.1.305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The knotted1 gene was first defined by dominant mutations that affect leaf morphology. The original allele, Kn1-O, results from a 17-kb tandem duplication. Mutator (Mu) insertions near the junction of the two repeats suppress the leaf phenotype to different degrees depending on the position of the insertion. The Mu insertions also increase the frequency of recombination at Kn1-O to create derivative alleles in which the Mu element and one copy of the repeat are lost. These derivatives are normal in appearance. Here we describe two derivatives that retained the tandem duplication but gained insertions of 1.7 and 3 kb in length in place of the Mu element. In each case, the inserted DNA is a sequence that normally flanks the distal repeat unit. Thus, each derivative consists of a tandem duplication in which the repeat unit has been extended at its distal end by the length of the new insertion. The 1.7-kb insertion dampens the phenotype, as did the original Mu insertion, whereas the 3-kb insertion completely suppresses the knotted phenotype. We propose that gene conversion, stimulated by the double-strand break of the Mu excision, gave rise to these derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Mathern
- Plant Gene Expression Center, University of California, Berkeley 94720, USA
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Benito MI, Walbot V. Characterization of the maize Mutator transposable element MURA transposase as a DNA-binding protein. Mol Cell Biol 1997; 17:5165-75. [PMID: 9271394 PMCID: PMC232367 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.17.9.5165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The autonomous MuDR element of the Mutator (Mu) transposable element family of maize encodes at least two proteins, MURA and MURB. Based on amino acid sequence similarity, previous studies have reported that MURA is likely to be a transposase. The functional characterization of MURA has been hindered by the instability of its cDNA, mudrA, in Escherichia coli. In this study, we report the first successful stabilization and expression of MURA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that MURA is a DNA-binding protein that specifically binds to sequences within the highly conserved Mu element terminal inverted repeats (TIRs). DNase I and 1,10-phenanthroline-copper footprinting of MURA-Mu1 TIR complexes indicate that MURA binds to a conserved approximately 32-bp region in the TIR of Mu1. In addition, MURA can bind to the same region in the TIRs of all tested actively transposing Mu elements but binds poorly to the diverged Mu TIRs of inactive elements. Previous studies have reported a correlation between Mu transposon inactivation and methylation of the Mu element TIRs. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that MURA can interact differentially with unmethylated, hemimethylated, and homomethylated TIR substrates. The significance of MURA's interaction with the TIRs of Mu elements is discussed in the context of what is known about the regulation and mechanisms of Mutator activities in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Benito
- Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, California 94305-5020, USA.
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Besansky NJ, Mukabayire O, Bedell JA, Lusz H. Pegasus, a small terminal inverted repeat transposable element found in the white gene of Anopheles gambiae. Genetica 1996; 98:119-29. [PMID: 8976060 DOI: 10.1007/bf00121360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Pegasus, a novel transposable element, was discovered as a length polymorphism in the white gene of Anopheles gambiae. Sequence analysis revealed that this 535 bp element was flanked by 8 bp target site duplications and 8 bp perfect terminal inverted repeats similar to those found in many members of the Tc1 family. Its small size and lack of long open reading frames preclude protein coding capacity. Southern analysis and in situ hybridization to polytene chromosomes demonstrated that Pegasus occurs in approximately 30 copies in the genomes of An. gambiae and its sibling species and is homogenous in structure but polymorphic in chromosomal location. Characterization of five additional elements by sequencing revealed nucleotide identities of 95% to 99%. Of 30 Pegasus-containing phage clones examined by PCR, only one contained an element exceeding 535 bp in length, due to the insertion of another transposable element-like sequence. Thus, the majority, if not all, extant Pegasus elements may be defective copies of a complete element whose contemporary existence in An. gambiae is uncertain. No Pegasus-hybridizing sequences were detected in nine other anophelines and three culicines examined, suggesting a very limited taxonomic distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Besansky
- Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee, GA 30341, USA
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