Gene function and expression level influence the insertion/fixation dynamics of distinct transposon families in mammalian introns

Manuela Sironi,Matteo Cereda,Nereo Bresolin,Uberto Pozzoli,Giorgia Menozzi,Rachele Cagliani,Giacomo P Comi

doi:10.1186/gb-2006-7-12-r120

Manuela Sironi, Matteo Cereda + Show 5 more

Open Access

PDF Available

https://doi.org/10.1186/gb-2006-7-12-r120

Copy DOI

Export

Save

Cite

Abstract
Highlights/Summary
Full-Text PDF
Similar Papers

Abstract

Listen

An analysis of humans and mouse genomes indicates that gene function, expression level, and sequence conservation influence transposable elements insertion/fixation in mammalian introns.

Highlights

Four major classes of mammalian Transposable elements (TEs) have been identified in mammals: long interspersed elements (LINEs), short interspersed elements (SINEs), LTR retrotrasposons and DNA transposons
The result of this age-dependent accumulation is that many TEs are restricted to closely related species: about a half of human repeats cannot be identified in genomes of other than primate origin [3]; most repeats that can be detected in mouse DNA are specific to rodents
TE distribution varies with gene class or function We wished to verify whether different TE types might be differentially represented depending on gene function

Summary

Introduction

Transposable elements (TEs) represent more than 45% of the human and mouse genomes. Both parasitic and mutualistic features have been shown to apply to the host-TE relationship but a comprehensive scenario of the forces driving TE fixation within mammalian genes is still missing. It is widely recognized that a large fraction of mammalian genomic DNA is accounted for by interspersed repeated elements These sequences have been estimated to represent more than 50% of the human genome [1]. Different TE subtypes have been active over different evolutionary periods [2], implying that multiple copies of propagating elements accumulated over discrete time periods depending on the presence of an active source The result of this age-dependent accumulation is that many TEs are restricted to closely related species: about a half of human repeats cannot be identified in genomes of other than primate origin [3]; most repeats that can be detected in mouse DNA are specific to rodents. Repeated sequences that are common to all mammalian genomes exist as they probably amplified before the mammalian radiation [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion