Phylogenetic analysis of retroposon family as exemplified on human chromosome 13: further evidence for recent proliferation.
The retroposon SINE-R.C2 was first identified as a human-specific insertion in the complement C2 gene. In our previous study, SINE-R type retroposons, derived from the endogenous retrovirus HERV-K family, have been found to be hominoid specific. In this report on human chromosome 13, we identified eighteen new SINE-R retroposons resembling those we have previously reported on the sex chromosomes and on chromosomes 7 and 17. Phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining method revealed that four SINE-R retroposons (13-16, 21, 23, 25) on chromosome 13 were closely related to the human-specific retroposon SINE-R.C2, with a high degree of sequence homology (95-97%). Such elements differ from the HERV-K10. LTR sequence from which they are derived in being deleted for the promoter region. Therefore while the evidence adds to the case that some classes of SINE-R element have continued to proliferate in hominid and hominoid evolution and may, as in the case of Fukuyama type muscular dystrophy, be a cause of insertional mutagenesis, they are less likely than the HERV-K10 LTR to have a positive effect on host gene activity.
Kim
H S
HS
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Korea. khs307@hyowon.cc.pusan.ac.kr
Hyun
B H
BH
Crow
T J
TJ
D002882:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13 / Q000235:genetics*; D003175:Complement C2 / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020086:Short Interspersed Nucleotide Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
D003175:Complement C2; D018626:Retroelements