The Tol1 transposable element of the medaka fish moves in human and mouse cells.
DNA-based transposable elements can be used as tools for gene engineering and gene therapy. A great advantage over RNA-mediated elements and retroviruses is the simplicity and safety of usage. The Tol1 element of the medaka fish Oryzias latipes has structural features of DNA-based elements. Although its excision has already been demonstrated, de novo insertion has not been observed, and a transposase has not been hitherto identified. We first cloned, through in silico search alignments and genomic library screenings, a 4.4-kb Tol1 copy carrying open reading frames and then identified, by mRNA analysis, a 2.9-kb transcript coding for 851 amino acids. The protein product of this transcript catalyzed transposition of a nonautonomous Tol1 copy in human and mouse culture cells. This identification of a fully functional Tol1 transposase could lead to the development of new tools for basic and translational molecular biology applications in mammals.
Koga
Akihiko
A
Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan. koga@bio.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
Shimada
Atsuko
A
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
Kuroki
Toshiya
T
Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan.
Hori
Hiroshi
H
Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan.
Kusumi
Junko
J
Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 810-8560, Japan.
Kyono-Hamaguchi
Yoriko
Y
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan.
Hamaguchi
Satoshi
S
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan.
D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009990:Oryzias / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D019895:Transposases / Q000502:physiology*
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D019895:Transposases