title: Elicitin genes in Phytophthora infestans are clustered and interspersed with various transposon-like elements.
abstract: Sequencing and annotation of a contiguous stretch of genomic DNA (112.3 kb) from the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans revealed the order, spacing and genomic context of four members of the elicitin (inf) gene family. Analysis of the GC content at the third codon position (GC3) of six genes encoded in the region, and a set of randomly selected coding regions as well as random genomic regions, showed that a high GC3 value is a general feature of Phytophthora genes that can be exploited to optimize gene prediction programs for Phytophthora species. At least one-third of the annotated 112.3-kb P. infestans sequence consisted of transposons or transposon-like elements. The most prominent were four Tc3/gypsy and Tc1/copia type retrotransposons and three DNA transposons that belong to the Tc1/mariner, Pogo and PiggyBac groups, respectively. Comparative analysis of other available genomic sequences suggests that transposable elements are highly heterogeneous and ubiquitous in the P. infestans genome.
authors.affiliation: Plant Sciences Group, Laboratory of Phytopathology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, Binnenhaven 5, 6709 PD, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rays H Y
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Angus L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Dawe
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weide
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Staveren
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Nuss
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Govers
mesh_terms: D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D023061:Gene Order; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D020418:Algal Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D011506:Proteins; C085101:elicitin, Phytophthora