title: The IS4 family of insertion sequences: evidence for a conserved transposase motif.
abstract: The eight IS231 variants characterized so far (IS231 A-F, V and W) display similar transposases with an overall 40% identity. Comparison with all the prokaryotic transposable elements sequenced so far revealed that the IS231 transposases share two conserved regions with those of 35 other insertion sequences of wide origins. These insertion sequences, defining the IS4 family, have a common bipartite organization of their ends and are divided into two similarity groups. Interestingly, the transposase domains conserved within this family display similarities with the well known integrase domain shared by transposases of the IS3 and IS15 families, and integrases of retroelements. This domain is also found in IS30-related elements and Tn7 TnsB protein. Amino acid residues conserved throughout all these prokaryotic and eukaryotic mobile genetic elements define a major transposase/integrase motif, likely to play an important role in the transposition process.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Génétique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rezsöhazy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hallet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delcour
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahillon
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D018626:Retroelements; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D019895:Transposases
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018626:Retroelements; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D019895:Transposases