title: Molecular evolutionary analyses of mariners and other transposable elements in fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
abstract: Screens of a library of genomic DNA made during a recent study of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta revealed the presence of three distinct types of transposable elements (TEs). Two of the recovered sequences showed a high similarity to long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, while the third showed a high homology to mariner elements. To investigate the distribution and relationships of mariners in related ants, we PCR-amplified these elements from additional Solenopsis species. Phylogenetic analyses showed that they form a single group within the mauritiana subfamily that is part of a larger clade derived from hymenopteran species. We also present partial sequence data for the two LTR-retrotransposons and describe their phylogenetic affinities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602, USA. mkrieger@uga.edu
authors.forename: M J B
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D019895:Transposases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018626:Retroelements; D004247:DNA; D019895:Transposases