Abstract
BackgroundTransposable elements (TEs) are a major component of metazoan genomes and are associated with a variety of mechanisms that shape genome architecture and evolution. Despite the ever-growing number of insect genomes sequenced to date, our understanding of the diversity and evolution of insect TEs remains poor.ResultsHere, we present a standardized characterization and an order-level comparison of arthropod TE repertoires, encompassing 62 insect and 11 outgroup species. The insect TE repertoire contains TEs of almost every class previously described, and in some cases even TEs previously reported only from vertebrates and plants. Additionally, we identified a large fraction of unclassifiable TEs. We found high variation in TE content, ranging from less than 6% in the antarctic midge (Diptera), the honey bee and the turnip sawfly (Hymenoptera) to more than 58% in the malaria mosquito (Diptera) and the migratory locust (Orthoptera), and a possible relationship between the content and diversity of TEs and the genome size.ConclusionWhile most insect orders exhibit a characteristic TE composition, we also observed intraordinal differences, e.g., in Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera. Our findings shed light on common patterns and reveal lineage-specific differences in content and evolution of TEs in insects. We anticipate our study to provide the basis for future comparative research on the insect TE repertoire.
Highlights
IntroductionRepetitive elements, including transposable elements viewed as selfish parasitic nucleotide sequence elements (TEs), are a major sequence component of eukary- propagating in genomes with mainly deleterious or at least ote genomes
Transposable element (TE) are known as “jumping genes” and traditionallyRepetitive elements, including transposable elements viewed as selfish parasitic nucleotide sequence elements (TEs), are a major sequence component of eukary- propagating in genomes with mainly deleterious or at least ote genomes
The highest TE content (60%) was found in the large genome (6.5 Gbp) of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera), while the smallest known insect genome, that of the antarctic midge B. antarctica (Diptera, 99 Mbp), was found to contain less than 1% TEs
Summary
Repetitive elements, including transposable elements viewed as selfish parasitic nucleotide sequence elements (TEs), are a major sequence component of eukary- propagating in genomes with mainly deleterious or at least ote genomes. For example, TEs. In plants, TEs are even more prevalent: up to 90% host genes or regulatory sequences, TEs can disrupt codof the maize (Zea mays) genome is covered by TEs [3]. In ing sequences or gene regulation, and/or provide hot spots insects, the genomic portion of TEs ranges from as little for ectopic (non-homologous) recombination that may as 1% in the antarctic midge [4] to as large as 65% in the induce chromosomal rearrangements in the host genome migratory locust [5]. Transposable elements (TEs) are a major component of metazoan genomes and are associated with a variety of mechanisms that shape genome architecture and evolution. Despite the ever-growing number of insect genomes sequenced to date, our understanding of the diversity and evolution of insect TEs remains poor
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