title: Survey of transposable elements from rice genomic sequences.
abstract: Oryza sativa L. (domesticated rice) is a monocotyledonous plant, and its 430 Mb genome has been targeted for complete sequencing. We performed a high-resolution computer-based survey for transposable elements on 910 Kb of rice genomic DNA sequences. Both class I and II transposable elements were present, contributing 19.9% of the sequences surveyed. Class II elements greatly outnumbered class I elements (166 versus 22), although class I elements made up a greater percentage (12.2% versus 6.6%) of nucleotides surveyed. Several Mutator-like elements (MULEs) were identified, including rice elements that harbor truncated host cellular genes. MITEs (miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements) account for 71.6% of the mined transposable elements and are clearly the predominant type of transposable element in the sequences examined. Moreover, a putative Stowaway transposase has been identified based on shared sequence similarity with the mined MITEs and previously identified plant mariner-like elements (MLEs). Members of a group of novel rice elements resembling the structurally unusual members of the Basho family in Arabidopsis suggest a wide distribution of these transposons among plants. Our survey provides a preview of transposable element diversity and abundance in rice, and allows for comparison with genomes of other plant species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turcotte
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bureau
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018745:Genome, Plant; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018076:DNA, Complementary