Horizontal transfer and subsequent explosive expansion of a DNA transposon in sea kraits (Laticauda).

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements (TEs) are self-replicating genetic sequences and are often described as important 'drivers of evolution'. This driving force is because TEs promote genomic novelty by enabling rearrangement, and through exaptation as coding and regulatory elements. However, most TE insertions potentially lead to neutral or harmful outcomes, therefore host genomes have evolved machinery to suppress TE expansion. Through horizontal transposon transfer (HTT) TEs can colonize new genomes, and since new hosts may not be able to regulate subsequent replication, these TEs may proliferate rapidly. Here, we describe HTT of the Harbinger-Snek DNA transposon into sea kraits (Laticauda), and its subsequent explosive expansion within Laticauda genomes. This HTT occurred follow

SUBMITTER: Galbraith JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8437027 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature