Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2025
20:36
Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling
Published on: July 4, 2007
8.9K
Migrators within migrators: exploring transposable element dynamics in the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus.
Tobias Baril1, Alexander Hayward2
1Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK. tb529@exeter.ac.uk.
Mobile DNA
|February 17, 2022
Summary
The monarch butterfly genome has significantly fewer transposable elements (TEs) than related species, with novel DNA TE families rapidly expanding. This research highlights the dynamic nature of TE content and its potential role in insect immune gene adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Ecology
Background:
- Lepidoptera are crucial models for ecological and evolutionary studies.
- The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) genome assembly lacks detailed transposable element (TE) annotation.
- Investigating TE dynamics can illuminate genome evolution in this species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive transposable element (TE) annotation for the monarch butterfly genome.
- To analyze TE dynamics and their impact on genome content and evolution.
- To compare monarch TE content with closely related species.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide analysis of transposable elements (TEs).
- Comparative genomics with related Danaus species.
- Identification and characterization of novel TE families.
- Analysis of TE distribution around immune and wing coloration genes.
Main Results:
- Monarch butterfly genome contains 6.21% transposable elements (TEs), lower than related species (Danaus chrysippus, 33.97%; Danaus melanippus, 11.87%).
- LINEs and Penelope-like elements are major contributors; three novel families (r2-hero_dPle, penelope-1_dPle, hase2-1_dPle) are significant.
- Evidence of recent TE activity, including rapidly expanding Tc1 families (tc1-1_dPle, tc1-2_dPle) and signatures of TE turnover.
- TE content is threefold higher around immune genes compared to other host genes.
Conclusions:
- The monarch genome exhibits a lower TE contribution than related species, with dynamic expansion and removal processes.
- Novel DNA TE families are actively expanding, indicating ongoing genomic evolution.
- Insect immune genes are potential targets for studying TE-mediated host adaptation.
Related Concept Videos
02:13Overview of Transposition and Recombination
16.3K
Transposons make up a significant part of genomes of various organisms. Therefore, it is believed that transposition played a major evolutionary role in speciation by changing genome sizes and modifying gene expression patterns. For example, in bacteria, transposition can lead to conferring antibiotic resistance. Movement of transposable elements within the genetic pool of pathogenic bacteria can aid in transfer of antibiotic-resistant genetic elements. In eukaryotes, transposons can carry out...
16.3K
02:32Position-effect Variegation
6.6K
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
6.6K
01:24Transposons
246
Transposons, or "jumping genes," are small mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that range from 700 to 40,000 base pairs in length. They are found in all organisms and can move within the same chromosome or transfer to different chromosomes. In some cases, transposons can also jump between different host DNA molecules, such as plasmids or viruses, contributing to genetic variability.Barbara McClintock first discovered these mobile genetic elements in the 1940s while studying maize genetics, and she...
246
02:57DNA-only Transposons
14.9K
DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
14.9K
01:07Speciation Rates
21.7K
Overview
21.7K
03:08LTR Retrotransposons
18.0K
LTR retrotransposons are class I transposable elements with long terminal repeats flanking an internal coding region. These elements are less abundant in mammals compared to other class I transposable elements. About 8 percent of human genomic DNA comprises LTR retrotransposons. Some of the common examples of LTR retrotransposons are Ty elements in yeast and Copia elements in Drosophila.
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
18.0K