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Selective constraints on P-element evolution.

D J Witherspoon1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. dwithers@hci.utah.edu

Molecular Biology and Evolution
|May 20, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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P elements, unlike mariner elements, show selection on their protein-coding sequences. Selection maintains early exons for transposition repression, while later exons are maintained by horizontal transfer events between species.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Transposable Elements

Background:

  • P elements and mariner elements are DNA transposons with similar life cycles.
  • Transposons are expected to accumulate inactivating mutations without selection.
  • The evolutionary pressures on P elements remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate evidence of conservative selection on P-element protein-coding sequences.
  • To compare P element evolution to mariner element evolution.
  • To understand the selective forces maintaining P element function.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of publicly available P-element sequences.
  • Comparative sequence analysis to detect evidence of selection.
  • Comparison of evolutionary patterns with hypotheses on selection.

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Main Results:

  • P-element protein-coding sequences evolve under conservative selection, driven by multiple forces.
  • Exons 0-2 of the P-element transposase are maintained by selection, potentially for transposition repression.
  • Exon 3 shows evidence of selection only in interspecies comparisons, suggesting selection acts during horizontal transfer.

Conclusions:

  • Selection maintains P-element exons 0-2 for host-level transposition repression.
  • Selection on P-element exon 3 likely occurs during horizontal transfer events between species.
  • Horizontal transfer may be critical for the long-term maintenance of active P elements against mutation.