Horizontal transmission of an R4 clade non-long terminal repeat retrotransposon between the divergent Aedes and Anopheles mosquito genera.

ABSTRACT: AaegR4_1 and AgamR4_1 are the sole R4 clade non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, two species that diverged approximately 145-200 million years ago. Twelve full-length copies were found in Ae. aegypti and have less than 1% nucleotide (nt) divergence, suggesting recent activity on an evolutionary time scale. Five of these copies have intact open reading frames and the 3.6 kb open reading frame of AaegR4_1.1 has 78% nt identity to AgamR4_1.1. No intact copies were found in An. gambiae. Searches of 25 genomic databases for 22 mosquito species from three genera revealed R4 clade representatives in Aedes and Anopheles genera but not in Culex. Interestingly, these elements are present in all six species of the An. gambiae species complex that

SUBMITTER: Biedler JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4400214 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature