Gene acquisition by giant transposons primes eukaryotes for rapid evolution via horizontal gene transfer.

ABSTRACT: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) disseminates genetic information between species and is a powerful mechanism of adaptation. Yet, we know little about its underlying drivers in eukaryotes. Giant Starship transposons have been implicated as agents of fungal HGT, providing an unprecedented opportunity to reveal the evolutionary parameters behind this process. Here, we characterize the ssf gene cluster, which contributes to formaldehyde resistance, and use it to demonstrate how mobile element evolution shapes fungal adaptation. We found that ssf clusters have been acquired by various distantly related Starships, which each exhibit multiple instances of horizontal transfer across fungal species (at least nine events, including between different taxonomic orders). Many

SUBMITTER: Urquhart AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11623301 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature