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Related Experiment Videos

Transposable elements and vertebrate protein diversity.

Anna Lorenc1, Wojciech Makałowski

  • 1Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Genetica
|July 19, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Transposable elements (TEs) are integrated into vertebrate protein-coding genes, creating new functional motifs. These TE-cassettes often generate alternative protein forms, with the non-TE version typically expressed.

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Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Repetitive sequences, including transposable elements (TEs), constitute a significant portion of eukaryotic genomes, particularly mammalian genomes (~50%).
  • These repetitive elements play crucial roles in genome evolution, acting as recombination hotspots or acquiring cellular functions like gene regulation.
  • The integration of TEs into protein-coding regions is a key area of evolutionary study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and implications of transposable element (TE) insertions within protein-coding sequences across vertebrates.
  • To determine if the incorporation of TE-derived sequences into genes is a widespread phenomenon in vertebrate evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive search of all available vertebrate protein sequences, including the human proteome.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis focused on identifying instances where transposable element (TE) sequences, referred to as TE-cassettes, are inserted into open reading frames (ORFs).

    • Main Results:

    • Transposable element (TE) cassettes are found inserted into protein-coding regions (open reading frames) across all examined vertebrate lineages.
    • These TE-cassettes originate from diverse types of transposable elements, indicating a broad utilization by genomes.
    • The majority of identified TE-cassettes appear to facilitate the generation of alternative protein isoforms, with the non-TE version often being the predominantly expressed form.

    Conclusions:

    • The insertion of transposable element (TE) cassettes into protein-coding regions is a common evolutionary strategy in vertebrates.
    • Genomes appear to utilize these TE-cassettes as pre-fabricated 'motifs' for evolutionary experimentation, particularly for generating protein diversity.
    • This process significantly contributes to the generation of alternative splicing and protein isoforms within vertebrate proteomes.