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Updated: May 12, 2026
04:04
Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
Published on: January 20, 2023
Horizontal transfer and evolution of prokaryote transposable elements in eukaryotes.
Clément Gilbert1, Richard Cordaux
1Université de Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7267 Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose, Poitiers, France. clement.gilbert@univ-poitiers.fr
Genome Biology and Evolution
|April 9, 2013
Summary
Prokaryotic transposable elements (TEs) were found in eukaryotic genomes, indicating horizontal transfer (HT) events. The IS607 family shows recent prokaryote-to-eukaryote HT, with some elements potentially giving rise to new genes.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Horizontal transfer (HT) of transposable elements (TEs) is crucial for prokaryotic evolution and increasingly recognized in eukaryotes.
- While prokaryote-to-prokaryote and eukaryote-to-eukaryote HTs are documented, prokaryote-to-eukaryote TE transfer is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively search for prokaryotic insertion sequences (ISs) in eukaryotic genomes.
- To investigate the frequency and impact of prokaryote-to-eukaryote horizontal transfer of TEs.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic screening of 430 eukaryote genomes for major prokaryotic IS groups.
- Phylogenetic analysis to determine the origin and evolutionary relationships of identified sequences.
- Selection analyses to assess the age and potential functional impact of transferred TEs.
Main Results:
- Identified 80 IS607 family sequences in 14 eukaryotic species across four phyla.
- Phylogenetic analysis indicated multiple horizontal transfer events from cyanobacteria.
- Detected intact, potentially active IS607 copies in Acanthamoeba castellani, suggesting recent transfer.
Conclusions:
- Prokaryote-to-eukaryote HT of TEs, particularly IS607, occurs at a low frequency but has happened recently in eukaryote evolution.
- Some IS607 elements may have been domesticated, contributing to the evolution of new eukaryotic genes.
- IS607 is established as a widespread TE found across prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses.
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