Differential Conservation and Loss of Chicken Repeat 1 (CR1) Retrotransposons in Squamates Reveal Lineage-Specific Genome Dynamics Across Reptiles.

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences which create mutations and generate genetic diversity across the tree of life. In amniote vertebrates, TEs have been mainly studied in mammals and birds, whose genomes generally display low TE diversity. Squamates (Order Squamata; including ∼11,000 extant species of lizards and snakes) show as much variation in TE abundance and activity as they do in species and phenotypes. Despite this high TE activity, squamate genomes are remarkably uniform in size. We hypothesize that novel, lineage-specific genome dynamics have evolved over the course of squamate evolution. To understand the interplay between TEs and host genomes, we analyzed the evolutionary history of the chicken repeat 1 (CR1) retrotransposon, a TE family found in most tetrap

SUBMITTER: Gable SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11303007 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature