Stepwise evolution of two giant composite LTR-retrotransposon-like elements DA and Xiao.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We recently discovered two composite long terminal repeat (LTR)-retrotransposon-like elements which we named DA (approximately 300 kb) and Xiao (approximately 30 kb), meaning big and small in Chinese respectively. Xiao and DA (three types of DA identified) were found to have been derived from several donor sites and have spread to 30 loci in the human genome, totaling to 5 Mb. Our bioinformatics analyses with the released human, chimp, rhesus macaque, orangutan, and marmoset genomic sequences indicate that DA and Xiao emerged approximately 25 million years (Myr) ago.

Results

To better understand the evolution of these two complex elements, we investigated various internal junctions of DA and Xiao as well as orthologous genomic sites of the 30 DA/Xiao loci in non-h

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2700803 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature