title: MMTS, a new subfamily of Tc1-like transposons.
abstract: A novel Tc1-like transposable element has been identified as a new DNA transposon in the mud loach, Misgurnus mizolepis. The M. mizolepis Tc1-like transposon (MMTS) is comprised of inverted terminal repeats and a single gene that codes Tc1-like transposase. The deduced amino acid sequence of the transposase-encoding region of MMTS transposon contains motifs including DDE motif, which was previously recognized in other Tc1-like transposons. However, putative MMTS transposase has only 34-37% identity with well-known Tc1, PPTN, and S elements at the amino acid level. In dot-hybridization analysis used to measure the copy numbers of the MMTS transposon in genomes of the mud loach, it was shown that the MMTS transposon is present at about 3.36 x 104 copies per 2 x 109 bp, and accounts for approximately 0.027% of the mud loach genome. Here, we also describe novel MMTS-like transposons from the genomes of carp-like fishes, flatfish species, and cichlid fishes, which bear conserved inverted repeats flanking an apparently intact transposase gene. Additionally, BLAST searches and phylogenetic analysis indicated that MMTS-like transposons evolved uniquely in fishes, and comprise a new subfamily of Tc1-like transposons, with only modest similarity to Drosophila melanogaster (foldback element FB4, HB2, HB1), Xenopus laevis, Xenopus tropicalis, and Anopheles gambiae (Frisky).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Pukyong National University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Moo-Sang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sang Uk
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hyung Ho
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements