Endonuclease-containing Penelope retrotransposons in the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga exhibit unusual structural features and play a role in expansion of host gene families.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Penelope-like elements (PLEs) are an enigmatic group of retroelements sharing a common ancestor with telomerase reverse transcriptases. In our previous studies, we identified endonuclease-deficient PLEs that are associated with telomeres in bdelloid rotifers, small freshwater invertebrates best known for their long-term asexuality and high foreign DNA content. Completion of the high-quality draft genome sequence of the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga provides us with the opportunity to examine its genomic transposable element (TE) content, as well as TE impact on genome function and evolution.

Results

We performed an exhaustive search of the A. vaga genome assembly, aimed at identification of canonical PLEs combining both the reverse transcriptase (RT) and the GIY-Y

SUBMITTER: Arkhipova IR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3846280 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature