Natural selection on gene function drives the evolution of LTR retrotransposon families in the rice genome.

ABSTRACT: Although the proliferation of LTR retrotransposons can cause major genomic modification and reorganization, the evolutionary dynamics that affect their frequency in host genomes are poorly understood. We analyzed patterns of genetic variation among LTR retrotransposons from Oryza sativa to investigate the type of selective forces that potentially limit their amplification and subsequent population of a nuclear genome. We performed both intra- and interfamily analyses of patterns of molecular sequence variation across multiple LTR retrotransposon genes. This analysis involved more than 1000 LTR retrotransposon sequences from 14 separate families that varied in both their insertion dates and full-length copy numbers. We uncovered evidence of strong purifying selection across all gene regions

SUBMITTER: Baucom RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2652206 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature