Interspersed repetitive DNA sequences are unlikely to be parasitic

Transposable elements in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Transposable elements (TEs) are families of small DNA sequences found in the genomes of virtually all organisms. The sequences typically encode essential components for the replicative transposition sequences of that TE family. Thus, TEs are simply genomic parasites that inflict detrimental mutations on the fitness of their hosts. Several models have been proposed for the containment of TE copy number in outbreeding host populations such as Drosophila. Surveys of the TEs in genomes from natural populations of Drosophila have played a central role in the investigation of TE dynamics. The early surveys indicated that a typical TE insertion is rare in a population, which has been interpreted as evidence that each TE is selected against. The proposed mechanisms of this natural selection are reviewed here. Subsequent and more targeted surveys identify heterogeneity among types of TEs and also highlight the large role of homologous and possibly ectopic crossing over in the dynamics of the Drosophila TEs. The recent discovery of germline-specific RNA interference via the piwi-interacting RNA pathway opens yet another interesting mechanism that may be critical in containing the copy number of TEs in natural populations of Drosophila. The expected flood of Drosophila population genomics is expected to rapidly advance understanding of the dynamics of TEs.

The population dynamics of transposable elements

This paper describes analytical and simulation models of the population dynamics of transposable elements in randomly mating populations. The models assume a finite number of chromosomal sites that are occupable by members of a given family of elements. Element frequencies can change as a result of replicative transposition, loss of elements from occupied sites, selection on copy number per individual, and genetic drift. It is shown that, in an infinite population, an equilibrium can be set up such that not all sites in all individuals are occupied, allowing variation between individuals in both copy number and identity of occupied sites, as has been observed for several element families in Drosophila melanogaster. Such an equilibrium requires either regulation of transposition rate in response to copy number per genome, a sufficiently strongly downwardly curved dependence of individual fitness on copy number, or both. The probability distributions of element frequencies, generated by the effects of finite population size, are derived on the assumption of independence between different loci, and compared with simulation results. Despite some discrepancies due to violation of the independence assumption, the general pattern seen in the simulations agrees quite well with theory.

Data from Drosophila population studies are compared with the theoretical models, and methods of estimating the relevant parameters are discussed.

Transposition of the I element and copia in a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster

In order to increase our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of transposable genetic elements we have studied the chromosal location of copies of 2 element families in 20 X chromosomes extracted from a natural population of Drosophila melanogaster from Spain. The I element was localized at a total of 64 chromosomal sites and copia at 45 sites in this sample with a mean copy number of 3·2 and 2·3 elements/chromosome respectively. Both elements were highly variable in location, with no site reaching a higher frequency than 4/20 in either case. Comparisons with other data sets suggest that insertion frequencies can be used to detect population structuring.

Long-term evolution of transposable elements

Transposable elements are often considered parasitic DNA sequences, able to invade the genome of their host thanks to their self-replicating ability. This colonization process has been extensively studied, both theoretically and experimentally, but their long-term coevolution with the genomes is still poorly understood. In this work, we aim to challenge previous population genetics models by considering features of transposable elements as quantitative, rather than discrete, variables. We also describe more realistic transposable element dynamics by accounting for the variability of the insertion effect, from deleterious to adaptive, as well as mutations leading to a loss of transposition activity and to nonautonomous copies. Individual-based simulations of the behavior of a transposable-element family over several thousand generations show different ways in which active or inactive copies can be maintained for a very long time. Results reveal an unexpected impact of genetic drift on the "junk DNA" content of the genome and strongly question the likelihood of the sustainable long-term stable transposition-selection equilibrium on which numerous previous works were based.

Transposable element insertion location bias and the dynamics of gene drive in mosquito populations

Some vector-borne disease control strategies using transgenic mosquitoes require transgene spread to high frequency in populations. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that replicate and transpose within the genomes of other organisms and may therefore be represented in the next generation in higher frequencies than predicted by Mendelian segregation. This over-representation has allowed some TEs to spread through natural populations. Transgenes incorporated within a TE sequence are expected to be driven into populations as long as there is a positive balance between fitness costs and over-representation. Models have been used to examine parameters that affect this balance but did not take into account biased insertion of TEs to linked sites in the genome. A simulation model was created to examine the impact of insertion bias on TE spread in mosquito populations. TEs that induce no fitness costs are predicted to increase in frequency over a wide range of parameter values but spread is slower for lower levels of transposition and non-local movement. If TEs are costly, high proportions of local movement can slow or halt spread. To function as a robust transgene drive mechanism a TE should replicate and transpose > 10%/insert/generation, induce < 1% fitness cost/insert, and move preferentially to unlinked sites in the genome.

The dynamics of repeated elements: applications to the epidemiology of tuberculosis

We propose a stepwise mutation model to describe the dynamics of DNA fingerprint variation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The genome of M. tuberculosis carries insertion sequences (IS6110) that are relatively stable over time periods of months but have an observable transposition rate over longer time scales. Variability in copy number and genomic location of (IS6110) can be harnessed to generate a DNA fingerprint for each strain, by digesting the genome with a restriction enzyme and using a portion of the element as a probe for Southern blots. The number of bands found for a given genome approximates the number of copies of IS6110 it carries. A large data set of such fingerprints from tuberculosis (TB) cases in San Francisco provides an observed distribution of IS6110 copy number. Implementation of the model through deterministic and stochastic simulation indicates some general features of IS/TB dynamics. By comparing observations with outcomes of the model, we conclude that the IS/TB system is very heterogeneous and far from equilibrium. We find that the transposition parameters have a much stronger effect than the epidemic parameters on copy number distribution.

The dynamics of repeated elements: Applications to the epidemiology of tuberculosis

We propose a stepwise mutation model to describe the dynamics of DNA fingerprint variation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The genome of M. tuberculosis carries insertion sequences (IS6110) that are relatively stable over time periods of months but have an observable transposition rate over longer time scales. Variability in copy number and genomic location of (IS6110) can be harnessed to generate a DNA fingerprint for each strain, by digesting the genome with a restriction enzyme and using a portion of the element as a probe for Southern blots. The number of bands found for a given genome approximates the number of copies of IS6110 it carries. A large data set of such fingerprints from tuberculosis (TB) cases in San Francisco provides an observed distribution of IS6110 copy number. Implementation of the model through deterministic and stochastic simulation indicates some general features of IS/TB dynamics. By comparing observations with outcomes of the model, we conclude that the IS/TB system is very heterogeneous and far from equilibrium. We find that the transposition parameters have a much stronger effect than the epidemic parameters on copy number distribution.

Dynamics of transposable elements in metapopulations: a model of P element invasion in Drosophila

Work on how transposable elements are maintained and spread by virtue of their transposition processes have produced many theoretical studies of their evolutionary dynamics. But recent studies, which have experimentally identified some of these mechanisms, have not been taken into account. We present an integrated model of P transposable element regulation. It includes, at an individual level, the various mechanisms of regulation and the transposition events, that have been experimentally identified, recording specifically the chromosomal localisations of the inserted copies. It attempts to define the minimum conditions for explaining the regulation and spread of the P transposable element in Drosophila melanogaster natural populations. One test of this model is that it must explain the different population states found in the wild. A program that simulates the changes in Drosophila populations during the invasion of P elements was developed; the simulated populations were then compared to natural population data at the molecular and genetic levels. The model was validated by testing the dynamics of P element invasion in populations. It could explain the different natural population states with a recurrent invasion process. The simulations show that migration reduces the total number of copies, increases the number of defective copies, decreases P-activity and increases P-susceptibility, shifting equilibrium states from P to M'. They also show that the copies determining P-cytotype regulation spread faster by selection when located on the X chromosome. This result could account for the unexplained accumulation of P copies on the X chromosomes of some natural populations. Moreover the simulations predict a novel equilibrium state, called P', not yet characterized in natural populations but that can be found in natural population data.

A branching-process model for the evolution of transposable elements incorporating selection

We have formulated a very general mathematical model to analyze the evolution of transposable genetic elements in prokaryotic populations. Transposable genetic elements are DNA sequences able to replicate and insert copies of themselves at new locations in the genome. This work characterizes the equilibrium distribution of copy number under the influence of copy number-dependent selection, transposition and deletion. Our principal results concern the equilibrium distribution of copy number in response to various selective regimes. For particular transposition patterns (e.g., unregulated transposition or copy number-dependent transposition), equilibrium distributions are calculated numerically for a variety of specific selection patterns. Selection is quantified through specification of the expected number of offspring for individuals of each type, which is generally a non-increasing function of copy number, in accord with the usual evolutionary speculations.

Insertion-deletion variation at the yellow-achaete-scute region in two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

We have surveyed the region of the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster which encodes the yellow, achaete and scute genes for restriction map variation. Two natural populations, one from North Carolina, U.S.A. and the other from southern Spain were screened for variation at about 70 restriction sites and for variation due to DNA insertion or deletion events in 120 kilobases of DNA. Mean heterozygosity per nucleotide was estimated to be 0.0024 and 15 large insertions were found in the 49 chromosomes screened. Extensive disequilibrium between polymorphic sites were found across much of the region in the North Carolina population. The frequency of large insertions, which usually correspond to transposable genetic elements, is significantly lower than has been observed in autosomal regions of the genome. This is predicted for X-linked loci by certain models of transposable element evolution, where copy number is restricted by virtue of the recessive deleterious effects of the insertions. Our results appear to support such models. The deficiency of insertions may in this case be enhanced by hitch-hiking effects arising from the high level of disequilibrium.

Mdg-1 mobile element polymorphism in selected Drosophila melanogaster populations

The changes in mdg-1 mobile element polymorphism that followed artificial selection for either high or low egg-to-adult viability in a Drosophila melanogaster population were investigated. The two selected subpopulations were thus characterized for fecundity, wing length, and number and location of the mdg-1 mobile element by in situ hybridization of the biotinylated--DNA on salivary gland chromosomes. The selected populations that differed greatly in egg-to-adult viability showed the same mean fecundity and identical values for intra and inter components of variances, intraclass correlation coefficient, and fluctuating asymmetry estimated on the wing length measurement. This indicates a non-correlated effect between deleterious mutations affecting viability and other fitness components. However, the two selected populations differed in their pattern of mdg-1 location, although the mean number of insertions per genome was not different from that of the initial population; hence, the number of insertions of the mdg-1 mobile element was independent of the effective population size. These results suggest that the mdg-1 copy number was regulated, and that during the selection process, drift and inbreeding made up new insertion patterns of the mdg-1 element in the selected populations. The results are discussed in the light of some recent theoretical models of the population dynamics of transposable elements.

Quantitative models of hybrid dysgenesis: rapid evolution under transposition, extrachromosomal inheritance, and fertility selection

A model of the P-M system of hybrid dysgenesis is presented which incorporates single-site transposition of P factors in M cytotype, determination of offspring cytotype by both maternal cytotype and maternal or offspring nuclear genotype, and strong fertility selection in dysgenic individuals. The conditions required for the initial invasion of P factors into a pure M population, information concerning stable polymorphisms, and results of numerical iterations depicting the dynamic, nonequilibrium behavior of the system are summarized. While conditions for initial increase are independent of the rate of cytotype switching, the rate of evolution is accelerated by increased production of dysgenic individuals. If the transposition rate is sufficiently high to overcome the fertility barrier opposing P factors introduced into M populations, then convergence to high frequencies of the P factor occurs very rapidly. Under intense fertility depression, the phase of rapid increase may be preceded by an extended period of gradual increase at low frequencies.