A highly conserved, small LTR retrotransposon that preferentially targets genes in grass genomes

Epigenetic variation in early and late flowering plants of the rubber-producing Russian dandelion Taraxacum koksaghyz provides insights into the regulation of flowering time

The Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz) grows in temperate zones and produces large amounts of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in its roots, making it an attractive alternative source of natural rubber. Most T. koksaghyz plants require vernalization to trigger flower development, whereas early flowering varieties that have lost their vernalization dependence are more suitable for breeding and domestication. To provide insight into the regulation of flowering time in T. koksaghyz, we induced epigenetic variation by in vitro cultivation and applied epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis to the resulting early flowering plants and late flowering controls, allowing us to identify differences in methylation patterns and gene expression that correlated with flowering. This led to the identification of candidate genes homologous to vernalization and photoperiodism response genes in other plants, as well as epigenetic modifications that may contribute to the control of flower development. Some of the candidate genes were homologous to known floral regulators, including those that directly or indirectly regulate the major flowering control gene FT. Our atlas of genes can be used as a starting point to investigate mechanisms that control flowering time in T. koksaghyz in greater detail and to develop new breeding varieties that are more suited to domestication.

Helenus and Ajax, Two Groups of Non-Autonomous LTR Retrotransposons, Represent a New Type of Small RNA Gene-Derived Mobile Elements

Terminal repeat retrotransposons in miniature (TRIMs) are short non-autonomous long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons found from various eukaryotes. Cassandra is a unique TRIM lineage which contains a 5S rRNA-derived sequence in its LTRs. Here, two new groups of TRIMs, designated Helenus and Ajax, are reported based on bioinformatics analysis and the usage of Repbase. Helenus is found from fungi, animals, and plants, and its LTRs contain a tRNA-like sequence. It includes two LTRs and between them, a primer-binding site (PBS) and polypurine tract (PPT) exist. Fungal and plant Helenus generate 5 bp target site duplications (TSDs) upon integration, while animal Helenus generates 4 bp TSDs. Ajax includes a 5S rRNA-derived sequence in its LTR and is found from two nemertean genomes. Ajax generates 5 bp TSDs upon integration. These results suggest that despite their unique promoters, Helenus and Ajax are TRIMs whose transposition is dependent on autonomous LTR retrotransposon. These TRIMs can originate through an insertion of SINE in an LTR of TRIM. The discovery of Helenus and Ajax suggests the presence of TRIMs with a promoter for RNA polymerase III derived from a small RNA gene, which is here collectively termed TRIMp3.

Mining the Utricularia gibba genome for insulator-like elements for genetic engineering

Introduction

Gene expression is often controlled via cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that modulate the production of transcripts. For multi-gene genetic engineering and synthetic biology, precise control of transcription is crucial, both to insulate the transgenes from unwanted native regulation and to prevent readthrough or cross-regulation of transgenes within a multi-gene cassette. To prevent this activity, insulator-like elements, more properly referred to as transcriptional blockers, could be inserted to separate the transgenes so that they are independently regulated. However, only a few validated insulator-like elements are available for plants, and they tend to be larger than ideal.

Methods

To identify additional potential insulator-like sequences, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of Utricularia gibba (humped bladderwort), one of the smallest known plant genomes, with genes that are naturally close together. The 10 best insulator-like candidates were evaluated in vivo for insulator-like activity.

Results

We identified a total of 4,656 intergenic regions with expression profiles suggesting insulator-like activity. Comparisons of these regions across 45 other plant species (representing Monocots, Asterids, and Rosids) show low levels of syntenic conservation of these regions. Genome-wide analysis of unmethylated regions (UMRs) indicates ~87% of the targeted regions are unmethylated; however, interpretation of this is complicated because U. gibba has remarkably low levels of methylation across the genome, so that large UMRs frequently extend over multiple genes and intergenic spaces. We also could not identify any conserved motifs among our selected intergenic regions or shared with existing insulator-like elements for plants. Despite this lack of conservation, however, testing of 10 selected intergenic regions for insulator-like activity found two elements on par with a previously published element (EXOB) while being significantly smaller.

Discussion

Given the small number of insulator-like elements currently available for plants, our results make a significant addition to available tools. The high hit rate (2 out of 10) also implies that more useful sequences are likely present in our selected intergenic regions; additional validation work will be required to identify which will be most useful for plant genetic engineering.

High nucleotide similarity of three Copia lineage LTR retrotransposons among plant genomes

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile elements found in the majority of eukaryotic genomes. TEs deeply impact the structure and evolution of chromosomes and can induce mutations affecting coding genes. In plants, the major group of TEs is long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). They are classified into superfamilies (Gypsy, Copia) and subclassified into lineages. Horizontal transfer (HT), defined as the nonsexual transmission of genetic material between species, is a process allowing LTR-RTs to invade a new genome. Although this phenomenon was considered rare, recent studies demonstrate numerous transfers of LTR-RTs. This study aims to determine which LTR-RT lineages are shared with high similarity among 69 plant genomes. We identified and classified 88 450 LTR-RTs and determined 143 cases of high similarities between pairs of genomes. Most of them involved three Copia lineages (Oryco/Ivana, Retrofit/Ale, and Tork/Tar/Ikeros). A detailed analysis of three cases of high similarities involving Tork/Tar/Ikeros group shows an uneven distribution in the phylogeny of the elements and incongruence with between phylogenetic trees topologies, indicating they could be originated from HTs. Overall, our results suggest that LTR-RT Copia lineages share outstanding similarity between distant species and may likely be involved in HT mechanisms more frequent than initially estimated.

Viroids and Viroid-like Circular RNAs: Do They Descend from Primordial Replicators?

Viroids are a unique class of plant pathogens that consist of small circular RNA molecules, between 220 and 450 nucleotides in size. Viroids encode no proteins and are the smallest known infectious agents. Viroids replicate via the rolling circle mechanism, producing multimeric intermediates which are cleaved to unit length either by ribozymes formed from both polarities of the viroid genomic RNA or by coopted host RNAses. Many viroid-like small circular RNAs are satellites of plant RNA viruses. Ribozyviruses, represented by human hepatitis delta virus, are larger viroid-like circular RNAs that additionally encode the viral nucleocapsid protein. It has been proposed that viroids are direct descendants of primordial RNA replicons that were present in the hypothetical RNA world. We argue, however, that much later origin of viroids, possibly, from recently discovered mobile genetic elements known as retrozymes, is a far more parsimonious evolutionary scenario. Nevertheless, viroids and viroid-like circular RNAs are minimal replicators that are likely to be close to the theoretical lower limit of replicator size and arguably comprise the paradigm for replicator emergence. Thus, although viroid-like replicators are unlikely to be direct descendants of primordial RNA replicators, the study of the diversity and evolution of these ultimate genetic parasites can yield insights into the earliest stages of the evolution of life.

Methylation patterns of Tf2 retrotransposons linked to rapid adaptive stress response in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens)

Transposable elements (TEs) exhibit vast diversity across insect orders and are one of the major factors driving insect evolution and speciation. Presence of TEs can be both beneficial and deleterious to their host. While it is well-established that TEs impact life-history traits, adaptations and survivability of insects under hostile environments, the influence of the ecological niche on TE-landscape remains unclear. Here, we analysed the dynamics of Tf2 retrotransposons in the brown planthopper (BPH), under environmental fluctuations. BPH, a major pest of rice, is found in almost all rice-growing ecosystems. We believe genome plasticity, attributed to TEs, has allowed BPH to adapt and colonise novel ecological niches. Our study revealed bimodal age-distribution for Tf2 elements in BPH, indicating the occurrence of two major transpositional events in its evolutionary history and their contribution in shaping BPH genome. While TEs can provide genome flexibility and facilitate adaptations, they impose massive load on the genome. Hence, we investigated the involvement of methylation in modulating transposition in BPH. We performed comparative analyses of the methylation patterns of Tf2 elements in BPH feeding on resistant- and susceptible-rice varieties, and also under pesticide stress, across different life-stages. Results confirmed that methylation, particularly in non-CG context, is involved in TE regulation and dynamics under stress. Furthermore, we observed differential methylation for BPH adults and nymphs, emphasising the importance of screening juvenile life-stages in understanding adaptive-stress-responses in insects. Collectively, this study enhances our understanding of the role of transposons in influencing the evolutionary trajectory and survival strategies of BPH across generations.

Targeted designing functional markers revealed the role of retrotransposon derived miRNAs as mobile epigenetic regulators in adaptation responses of pistachio

We developed novel miRNA-based markers based on salt responsive miRNA sequences to detect polymorphisms in miRNA sequences and locations. The validation of 76 combined miRNA + miRNA and miRNA + ISSR markers in the three extreme pistachio populations led to the identification of three selected markers that could link salt tolerance phenotype to genotype and divided pistachio genotypes and Pistacia species into three clusters. This novel functional marker system, in addition to more efficient performance, has higher polymorphisms than previous miRNA-based marker systems. The functional importance of the target gene of five miRNAs in the structure of the three selected markers in regulation of different genes such as ECA2, ALA10, PFK, PHT1;4, PTR3, KUP2, GRAS, TCP, bHLH, PHD finger, PLATZ and genes involved in developmental, signaling and biosynthetic processes shows that the polymorphism associated with these selected miRNAs can make a significant phenotypic difference between salt sensitive and tolerant pistachio genotypes. The sequencing results of selected bands showed the presence of conserved miRNAs in the structure of the mitochondrial genome. Further notable findings of this study are that the sequences of PCR products of two selected markers were annotated as Gypsy and Copia retrotransposable elements. The transposition of retrotransposons with related miRNAs by increasing the number of miRNA copies and changing their location between nuclear and organellar genomes can affect the regulatory activity of these molecules. These findings show the crucial role of retrotransposon-derived miRNAs as mobile epigenetic regulators between intracellular genomes in regulating salt stress responses as well as creating new and tolerant phenotypes for adaptation to environmental conditions.

InpactorDB: A Classified Lineage-Level Plant LTR Retrotransposon Reference Library for Free-Alignment Methods Based on Machine Learning

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are mobile elements that constitute the major fraction of most plant genomes. The identification and annotation of these elements via bioinformatics approaches represent a major challenge in the era of massive plant genome sequencing. In addition to their involvement in genome size variation, LTR retrotransposons are also associated with the function and structure of different chromosomal regions and can alter the function of coding regions, among others. Several sequence databases of plant LTR retrotransposons are available for public access, such as PGSB and RepetDB, or restricted access such as Repbase. Although these databases are useful to identify LTR-RTs in new genomes by similarity, the elements of these databases are not fully classified to the lineage (also called family) level. Here, we present InpactorDB, a semi-curated dataset composed of 130,439 elements from 195 plant genomes (belonging to 108 plant species) classified to the lineage level. This dataset has been used to train two deep neural networks (i.e., one fully connected and one convolutional) for the rapid classification of these elements. In lineage-level classification approaches, we obtain up to 98% performance, indicated by the F1-score, precision and recall scores.

The Cassandra retrotransposon landscape in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and related Amaranthaceae: recombination and re-shuffling lead to a high structural variability

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Plant genomes contain many retrotransposons and their derivatives, which are subject to rapid sequence turnover. As non-autonomous retrotransposons do not encode any proteins, they experience reduced selective constraints leading to their diversification into multiple families, usually limited to a few closely related species. In contrast, the non-coding Cassandra terminal repeat retrotransposons in miniature (TRIMs) are widespread in many plants. Their hallmark is a conserved 5S rDNA-derived promoter in their long terminal repeats (LTRs). As sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) has a well-described LTR retrotransposon landscape, we aim to characterize TRIMs in beet and related genomes.

METHODS

We identified Cassandra retrotransposons in the sugar beet reference genome and characterized their structural relationships. Genomic organization, chromosomal localization, and distribution of Cassandra-TRIMs across the Amaranthaceae were verified by Southern and fluorescent in situ hybridization.

KEY RESULTS

All 638 Cassandra sequences in the sugar beet genome contain conserved LTRs and thus constitute a single family. Nevertheless, variable internal regions required a subdivision into two Cassandra subfamilies within B. vulgaris. The related Chenopodium quinoa harbours a third subfamily. These subfamilies vary in their distribution within Amaranthaceae genomes, their insertion times and the degree of silencing by small RNAs. Cassandra retrotransposons gave rise to many structural variants, such as solo LTRs or tandemly arranged Cassandra retrotransposons. These Cassandra derivatives point to an interplay of template switch and recombination processes - mechanisms that likely caused Cassandra's subfamily formation and diversification.

CONCLUSIONS

We traced the evolution of Cassandra in the Amaranthaceae and detected a considerable variability within the short internal regions, whereas the LTRs are strongly conserved in sequence and length. Presumably these hallmarks make Cassandra a prime target for unequal recombination, resulting in the observed structural diversity, an example of the impact of LTR-mediated evolutionary mechanisms on the host genome.

A Singular and Widespread Group of Mobile Genetic Elements: RNA Circles with Autocatalytic Ribozymes

Circular DNAs, such as most prokaryotic and phage genomes, are a frequent form of nucleic acids, whereas circular RNAs had been regarded as unusual macromolecules until very recently. The first reported RNA circles were the family of small infectious genomes of viroids and circular RNA (circRNA) satellites of plant viruses, some of which contain small self-cleaving RNA motifs, such as the hammerhead (HHR) and hairpin ribozymes. A similar infectious circRNA, the unique human hepatitis delta virus (HDV), is another viral satellite that also encodes self-cleaving motifs called HDV ribozymes. Very recently, different animals have been reported to contain HDV-like circRNAs with typical HDV ribozymes, but also conserved HHR motifs, as we describe here. On the other hand, eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes encode sequences able to self-excise as circRNAs, like the autocatalytic Group I and II introns, which are widespread genomic mobile elements. In the 1990s, the first circRNAs encoded in a mammalian genome were anecdotally reported, but their abundance and importance have not been unveiled until recently. These gene-encoded circRNAs are produced by events of alternative splicing in a process generally known as backsplicing. However, we have found a second natural pathway of circRNA expression conserved in numerous plant and animal genomes, which efficiently promotes the accumulation of small non-coding RNA circles through the participation of HHRs. Most of these genome-encoded circRNAs with HHRs are the transposition intermediates of a novel family of non-autonomous retrotransposons called retrozymes, with intriguing potential as new forms of gene regulation.

Chromosomal Locations of a Non-LTR Retrotransposon, , in and , and Its Implication on Genome Evolution of Species

Mobile elements are major regulators of genome evolution through their effects on genome size and chromosome structure in higher organisms. Non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, one of the subclasses of transposons, are specifically inserted into repetitive DNA sequences. While studies on the insertion of non-LTR retrotransposons into ribosomal RNA genes and other repetitive DNA sequences have been reported in the animal kingdom, studies in the plant kingdom are limited. Here, using FISH, we confirmed that <i>Menolird18</i>, a member of LINE (long interspersed nuclear element) in non-LTR retrotransposons and found in <i>Cucumis melo</i>, was inserted into ITS and ETS (internal and external transcribed spacers) regions of 18S rDNA in melon and cucumber. Beside the 18S rDNA regions, <i>Menolird18</i> was also detected in all centromeric regions of melon, while it was located at pericentromeric and sub-telomeric regions in cucumber. The fact that FISH signals of <i>Menolird18</i> were found in centromeric and rDNA regions of mitotic chromosomes suggests that <i>Menolird18</i> is a rDNA and centromere-specific non-LTR retrotransposon in melon. Our findings are the first report on a non-LTR retrotransposon that is highly conserved in 2 different plant species, melon and cucumber. The clear distinction of chromosomal localization of <i>Menolird18</i> in melon and cucumber implies that it might have been involved in the evolutionary processes of the melon (<i>C. melo</i>) and cucumber (<i>C. sativus</i>) genomes.

The unusual dRemp retrotransposon is abundant, highly mutagenic, and mobilized only in the second pollen mitosis of some maize lines

The frequent mutations recovered recently from the pollen of select maize lines resulted from the meiotic mobilization of specific low-copy number long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, which differ among lines. Mutations that arise at male meiosis produce kernels with concordant mutant phenotypes in both endosperm and embryo because the two sperms that participate in double fertilization are genetically identical. Those are in a majority. However, a small minority of kernels with a mutant endosperm carry a nonconcordant normal embryo, pointing to a postmeiotic or microgametophytic origin. In this study, we have identified the basis for those nonconcordant mutations. We find that all are produced by transposition of a defective LTR retrotransposon that we have termed dRemp (defective retroelement mobile in pollen). This element has several unique properties. Unlike the mutagenic LTR retrotransposons identified previously, dRemp is present in hundreds of copies in all sequenced lines. It seems to transpose only at the second pollen mitosis because all dRemp insertion mutants are nonconcordant yet recoverable in either the endosperm or the embryo. Although it does not move in most lines, dRemp is highly mobile in the Corn Belt inbred M14, identified earlier by breeders as being highly unstable. Lastly, it can be recovered in an array of structures, ranging from solo LTRs to tandem dRemp repeats containing several internal LTRs, suggestive of extensive recombination during retrotransposition. These results shed further light on the spontaneous mutation process and on the possible basis for inbred instability in maize.

Retrotransposons in Plant Genomes: Structure, Identification, and Classification through Bioinformatics and Machine Learning

Transposable elements (TEs) are genomic units able to move within the genome of virtually all organisms. Due to their natural repetitive numbers and their high structural diversity, the identification and classification of TEs remain a challenge in sequenced genomes. Although TEs were initially regarded as "junk DNA", it has been demonstrated that they play key roles in chromosome structures, gene expression, and regulation, as well as adaptation and evolution. A highly reliable annotation of these elements is, therefore, crucial to better understand genome functions and their evolution. To date, much bioinformatics software has been developed to address TE detection and classification processes, but many problematic aspects remain, such as the reliability, precision, and speed of the analyses. Machine learning and deep learning are algorithms that can make automatic predictions and decisions in a wide variety of scientific applications. They have been tested in bioinformatics and, more specifically for TEs, classification with encouraging results. In this review, we will discuss important aspects of TEs, such as their structure, importance in the evolution and architecture of the host, and their current classifications and nomenclatures. We will also address current methods and their limitations in identifying and classifying TEs.

Contribution of transposable elements in the plant's genome

Plants maintain extensive growth flexibility under different environmental conditions, allowing them to continuously and rapidly adapt to alterations in their environment. A large portion of many plant genomes consists of transposable elements (TEs) that create new genetic variations within plant species. Different types of mutations may be created by TEs in plants. Many TEs can avoid the host's defense mechanisms and survive alterations in transposition activity, internal sequence and target site. Thus, plant genomes are expected to utilize a variety of mechanisms to tolerate TEs that are near or within genes. TEs affect the expression of not only nearby genes but also unlinked inserted genes. TEs can create new promoters, leading to novel expression patterns or alternative coding regions to generate alternate transcripts in plant species. TEs can also provide novel cis-acting regulatory elements that act as enhancers or inserts within original enhancers that are required for transcription. Thus, the regulation of plant gene expression is strongly managed by the insertion of TEs into nearby genes. TEs can also lead to chromatin modifications and thereby affect gene expression in plants. TEs are able to generate new genes and modify existing gene structures by duplicating, mobilizing and recombining gene fragments. They can also facilitate cellular functions by sharing their transposase-coding regions. Hence, TE insertions can not only act as simple mutagens but can also alter the elementary functions of the plant genome. Here, we review recent discoveries concerning the contribution of TEs to gene expression in plant genomes and discuss the different mechanisms by which TEs can affect plant gene expression and reduce host defense mechanisms.

LTR_retriever: A Highly Accurate and Sensitive Program for Identification of Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposons

Long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) are prevalent in plant genomes. The identification of LTR-RTs is critical for achieving high-quality gene annotation. Based on the well-conserved structure, multiple programs were developed for the de novo identification of LTR-RTs; however, these programs are associated with low specificity and high false discovery rates. Here, we report LTR_retriever, a multithreading-empowered Perl program that identifies LTR-RTs and generates high-quality LTR libraries from genomic sequences. LTR_retriever demonstrated significant improvements by achieving high levels of sensitivity (91%), specificity (97%), accuracy (96%), and precision (90%) in rice (Oryza sativa). LTR_retriever is also compatible with long sequencing reads. With 40k self-corrected PacBio reads equivalent to 4.5× genome coverage in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the constructed LTR library showed excellent sensitivity and specificity. In addition to canonical LTR-RTs with 5'-TG…CA-3' termini, LTR_retriever also identifies noncanonical LTR-RTs (non-TGCA), which have been largely ignored in genome-wide studies. We identified seven types of noncanonical LTRs from 42 out of 50 plant genomes. The majority of noncanonical LTRs are Copia elements, with which the LTR is four times shorter than that of other Copia elements, which may be a result of their target specificity. Strikingly, non-TGCA Copia elements are often located in genic regions and preferentially insert nearby or within genes, indicating their impact on the evolution of genes and their potential as mutagenesis tools.

Circular RNAs Biogenesis in Eukaryotes Through Self-Cleaving Hammerhead Ribozymes

Circular DNAs are frequent genomic molecules, especially among the simplest life beings, whereas circular RNAs have been regarded as weird nucleic acids in biology. Now we know that eukaryotes are able to express circRNAs, mostly derived from backsplicing mechanisms, and playing different biological roles such as regulation of RNA splicing and transcription, among others. However, a second natural and highly efficient pathway for the expression in vivo of circRNAs has been recently reported, which allows the accumulation of abundant small (100-1000 nt) non-coding RNA circles through the participation of small self-cleaving RNAs or ribozymes called hammerhead ribozymes. These genome-encoded circRNAs with ribozymes seem to be a new family of small and nonautonomous retrotransposable elements of plants and animals (so-called retrozymes), which will offer functional clues to the biology and evolution of circular RNA molecules as well as new biotechnological tools in this emerging field.

Structure and Distribution of Centromeric Retrotransposons at Diploid and Allotetraploid Coffea Centromeric and Pericentromeric Regions

Centromeric regions of plants are generally composed of large array of satellites from a specific lineage of Gypsy LTR-retrotransposons, called Centromeric Retrotransposons. Repeated sequences interact with a specific H3 histone, playing a crucial function on kinetochore formation. To study the structure and composition of centromeric regions in the genus Coffea, we annotated and classified Centromeric Retrotransposons sequences from the allotetraploid C. arabica genome and its two diploid ancestors: Coffea canephora and C. eugenioides. Ten distinct CRC (Centromeric Retrotransposons in Coffea) families were found. The sequence mapping and FISH experiments of CRC Reverse Transcriptase domains in C. canephora, C. eugenioides, and C. arabica clearly indicate a strong and specific targeting mainly onto proximal chromosome regions, which can be associated also with heterochromatin. PacBio genome sequence analyses of putative centromeric regions on C. arabica and C. canephora chromosomes showed an exceptional density of one family of CRC elements, and the complete absence of satellite arrays, contrasting with usual structure of plant centromeres. Altogether, our data suggest a specific centromere organization in Coffea, contrasting with other plant genomes.

Circular RNAs with hammerhead ribozymes encoded in eukaryotic genomes: The enemy at home

A new family of non-autonomous retrotransposons with self-cleaving hammerhead ribozymes, the so called retrozymes, has recently been found encoded in diverse plant genomes. These retroelements can be actively transcribed, and their RNAs accumulate in the cells as abundant non-coding circular RNAs (circRNAs) of small size (600–1000 nt). Related circRNAs with self-cleaving ribozymes had already been described in plants, and belong to a group of infectious RNA agents with an uncertain origin: the viroids and viroid-like satellites of plant RNA viruses. These pathogenic circRNAs show many structural similarities with retrozyme circRNAs, and both have been found to occur in flowering plants as heterogeneous RNA molecules of positive and negative polarities. Taking all these data together, we hypothesize that circRNAs encoded by genomic retrozymes could have given origin to infectious circRNAs with self-cleaving ribozymes. Moreover, we propose that retrozymes in time could have evolved from the ancient family of Penelope-like retroelements, which also harbour hammerhead ribozymes. Putative retrozyme sequences with hammerhead ribozymes have been detected as well in metazoan genomes, opening the door to a common occurrence of circRNAs with self-cleaving motifs among eukaryotes.

Retrozymes are a unique family of non-autonomous retrotransposons with hammerhead ribozymes that propagate in plants through circular RNAs

Background

Catalytic RNAs, or ribozymes, are regarded as fossils of a prebiotic RNA world that have remained in the genomes of modern organisms. The simplest ribozymes are the small self-cleaving RNAs, like the hammerhead ribozyme, which have been historically considered biological oddities restricted to some RNA pathogens. Recent data, however, indicate that small self-cleaving ribozymes are widespread in genomes, although their functions are still unknown.

Results

We reveal that hammerhead ribozyme sequences in plant genomes form part of a new family of small non-autonomous retrotransposons with hammerhead ribozymes, referred to as retrozymes. These elements contain two long terminal repeats of approximately 350 bp, each harbouring a hammerhead ribozyme that delimitates a variable region of 600–1000 bp with no coding capacity. Retrozymes are actively transcribed, which gives rise to heterogeneous linear and circular RNAs that accumulate differentially depending on the tissue or developmental stage of the plant. Genomic and transcriptomic retrozyme sequences are highly heterogeneous and share almost no sequence homology among species except the hammerhead ribozyme motif and two small conserved domains typical of Ty3-gypsy long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Moreover, we detected the presence of RNAs of both retrozyme polarities, which suggests events of independent RNA-RNA rolling-circle replication and evolution, similarly to that of infectious circular RNAs like viroids and viral satellite RNAs.

Conclusions

Our work reveals that circular RNAs with hammerhead ribozymes are frequently occurring molecules in plant and, most likely, metazoan transcriptomes, which explains the ubiquity of these genomic ribozymes and suggests a feasible source for the emergence of circular RNA plant pathogens.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1002-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The First Rule of Plant Transposable Element Silencing: Location, Location, Location

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile units of DNA that comprise large portions of plant genomes. Besides creating mutations via transposition and contributing to genome size, TEs play key roles in chromosome architecture and gene regulation. TE activity is repressed by overlapping mechanisms of chromatin condensation, epigenetic transcriptional silencing, and targeting by small interfering RNAs. The specific regulation of different TEs, as well as their different roles in chromosome architecture and gene regulation, is specified by where on the chromosome the TE is located: near a gene, within a gene, in a pericentromere/TE island, or at the centromere core. In this Review, we investigate the silencing mechanisms responsible for inhibiting TE activity for each of these chromosomal contexts, emphasizing that chromosomal location is the first rule dictating the specific regulation of each TE.

Structural Diversity of a Novel LTR Retrotransposon, RTPOSON, in the Genus Oryza

Retrotransposons with long terminal repeats (LTRs) are the most abundant transposable elements in plant genomes. A novel LTR retrotransposon named RTPOSON primarily occurs in the genus Oryza and in several species of the Poaceae family. RTPOSON has been identified in the Ty1-copia group of retrotransposons because two of its open reading frames encode an uncharacterized protein and UBN2_2 and zinc knuckle, respectively. More than 700 RTPOSONs were identified in Oryza genomes; 127 RTPOSONs with LTRs and gag-pol elements were classified into three subgroups. The subgroup RTPOSON_sub3 had the smallest DNA size and 97% (32/33) of RTPOSON elements from Oryza punctata are classified in this group. The insertion time of these RTPOSONs varied and their proliferation occurred within the last 8 Mya, with two bursting periods within the last 1.5–5.0 Mya. A total of 37 different orthologous insertions of RTPOSONs, with different nested transposable elements and gene fragments, were identified by comparing the genomes of ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare and ssp. indica cv. 93–11. A part of intact RTPOSON elements was evolved independently after the divergence of indica and japonica. In addition, intact RTPOSONs and homologous fragments were preferentially retained or integrated in genic regions. This novel LTR retrotransposon, RTPOSON, might have an impact on genome evolution, genic innovation, and genetic variation.

Landscape and evolutionary dynamics of terminal repeat retrotransposons in miniature in plant genomes

Background

Terminal repeat retrotransposons in miniature (TRIMs) are a unique group of small long terminal repeat retrotransposons that are difficult to identify. Thus far, only a few TRIMs have been characterized in the euphyllophytes, and their evolutionary and biological significance as well as their transposition mechanisms are poorly understood.

Results

Using a combination of de novo and homology-based methods, we annotate TRIMs in 48 plant genome sequences, spanning land plants to algae. The TRIMs are grouped into 156 families including 145 that were previously undefined. Notably, we identify the first TRIMs in a lycophyte and non-vascular plants. The majority of the TRIM families are highly conserved and shared within and between plant families. Unlike other long terminal repeat retrotransposons, TRIMs are enriched in or near genes; they are also targeted by sRNAs between 21 and 24 nucleotides in length, and are frequently found in CG body-methylated genes. Importantly, we also identify putative autonomous retrotransposons and very recent transpositions of a TRIM element in Oryza sativa.

Conclusions

We perform the most comprehensive analysis of TRIM transposons thus far and report that TRIMs are ubiquitous across plant genomes. Our results show that TRIMs are more frequently associated with large and CG body-methylated genes that have undergone strong purifying selection. Our findings also indicate that TRIMs are likely derived from internal deletions of large long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Finally, our data and methodology are important resources for the characterization and evolutionary and genomic studies of long terminal repeat retrotransposons in other genomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0867-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

What makes up plant genomes: The vanishing line between transposable elements and genes

The ultimate source of evolution is mutation. As the largest component in plant genomes, transposable elements (TEs) create numerous types of mutations that cannot be mimicked by other genetic mechanisms. When TEs insert into genomic sequences, they influence the expression of nearby genes as well as genes unlinked to the insertion. TEs can duplicate, mobilize, and recombine normal genes or gene fragments, with the potential to generate new genes or modify the structure of existing genes. TEs also donate their transposase coding regions for cellular functions in a process called TE domestication. Despite the host defense against TE activity, a subset of TEs survived and thrived through discreet selection of transposition activity, target site, element size, and the internal sequence. Finally, TEs have established strategies to reduce the efficacy of host defense system by increasing the cost of silencing TEs. This review discusses the recent progress in the area of plant TEs with a focus on the interaction between TEs and genes.

Genome-wide Annotation and Comparative Analysis of Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposons between Pear Species of P. bretschneideri and P. Communis

Recent sequencing of the Oriental pear (P. bretschneideri Rehd.) genome and the availability of the draft genome sequence of Occidental pear (P. communis L.), has provided a good opportunity to characterize the abundance, distribution, timing, and evolution of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) in these two important fruit plants. Here, a total of 7247 LTR-RTs, which can be classified into 148 families, have been identified in the assembled Oriental pear genome. Unlike in other plant genomes, approximately 90% of these elements were found to be randomly distributed along the pear chromosomes. Further analysis revealed that the amplification timeframe of elements varies dramatically in different families, super-families and lineages, and the Copia-like elements have highest activity in the recent 0.5 million years (Mys). The data also showed that two genomes evolved with similar evolutionary rates after their split from the common ancestor ~0.77–1.66 million years ago (Mya). Overall, the data provided here will be a valuable resource for further investigating the impact of transposable elements on gene structure, expression, and epigenetic modification in the pear genomes.

Cytogenetic and Sequence Analyses of Mitochondrial DNA Insertions in Nuclear Chromosomes of Maize

The transfer of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into nuclear genomes is a regularly occurring process that has been observed in many species. Few studies, however, have focused on the variation of nuclear-mtDNA sequences (NUMTs) within a species. This study examined mtDNA insertions within chromosomes of a diverse set of Zea mays ssp. mays (maize) inbred lines by the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization. A relatively large NUMT on the long arm of chromosome 9 (9L) was identified at approximately the same position in four inbred lines (B73, M825, HP301, and Oh7B). Further examination of the similarly positioned 9L NUMT in two lines, B73 and M825, indicated that the large size of these sites is due to the presence of a majority of the mitochondrial genome; however, only portions of this NUMT (~252 kb total) were found in the publically available B73 nuclear sequence for chromosome 9. Fiber-fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis estimated the size of the B73 9L NUMT to be ~1.8 Mb and revealed that the NUMT is methylated. Two regions of mtDNA (2.4 kb and 3.3 kb) within the 9L NUMT are not present in the B73 mitochondrial NB genome; however, these 2.4-kb and 3.3-kb segments are present in other Zea mitochondrial genomes, including that of Zea mays ssp. parviglumis, a progenitor of domesticated maize.

Transcriptionally active LTR retrotransposons in Eucalyptus genus are differentially expressed and insertionally polymorphic

BACKGROUND

In Eucalyptus genus, studies on genome composition and transposable elements (TEs) are particularly scarce. Nearly half of the recently released Eucalyptus grandis genome is composed by retrotransposons and this data provides an important opportunity to understand TE dynamics in Eucalyptus genome and transcriptome.

RESULTS

We characterized nine families of transcriptionally active LTR retrotransposons from Copia and Gypsy superfamilies in Eucalyptus grandis genome and we depicted genomic distribution and copy number in two Eucalyptus species. We also evaluated genomic polymorphism and transcriptional profile in three organs of five Eucalyptus species. We observed contrasting genomic and transcriptional behavior in the same family among different species. RLC_egMax_1 was the most prevalent family and RLC_egAngela_1 was the family with the lowest copy number. Most families of both superfamilies have their insertions occurring <3 million years, except one Copia family, RLC_egBianca_1. Protein theoretical models suggest different properties between Copia and Gypsy domains. IRAP and REMAP markers suggested genomic polymorphisms among Eucalyptus species. Using EST analysis and qRT-PCRs, we observed transcriptional activity in several tissues and in all evaluated species. In some families, osmotic stress increases transcript values.

CONCLUSION

Our strategy was successful in isolating transcriptionally active retrotransposons in Eucalyptus, and each family has a particular genomic and transcriptional pattern. Overall, our results show that retrotransposon activity have differentially affected genome and transcriptome among Eucalyptus species.

The Ty1-copia LTR retroelement family PARTC is highly conserved in conifers over 200 MY of evolution

Long Terminal Repeat retroelements (LTR-RTs) are a major component of many plant genomes. Although well studied and described in angiosperms, their features and dynamics are poorly understood in gymnosperms. Representative complete copies of a Ty1-copia element isolate in Picea abies and named PARTC were identified in six other conifer species (Picea glauca, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus taeda, Abies sibirica, Taxus baccata and Juniperus communis) covering more than 200 million years of evolution. Here we characterized the structure of this element, assessed its abundance across conifers, studied the modes and timing of its amplification, and evaluated the degree of conservation of its extant copies at nucleotide level over distant species. We demonstrated that the element is ancient, abundant, widespread and its paralogous copies are present in the genera Picea, Pinus and Abies as an LTR-RT family. The amplification leading to the extant copies of PARTC occurred over long evolutionary times spanning 10s of MY and mostly took place after the speciation of the conifers analyzed. The level of conservation of PARTC is striking and may be explained by low substitution rates and limited removal mechanisms for LTR-RTs. These PARTC features and dynamics are representative of a more general scenario for LTR-RTs in gymnosperms quite different from that characterizing the vast majority of LTR-RT elements in angiosperms.

terMITEs: miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) in the termite genome (Blattodea: Termitoidae)

Transposable elements (TEs) are discrete DNA sequences which are able to replicate and jump into different genomic locations. Miniature inverted-repeats TEs (MITEs) are non-autonomous DNA elements whose origin is still poorly understood. Recently, some MITEs were found to contain core repeats that can be arranged in tandem arrays; in some instances, these arrays have even given rise to satellite DNAs in the (peri)centromeric region of the host chromosomes. I report the discovery and analysis of three new MITEs found in the genome of several termite species (hence the name terMITEs) in two different families. For two of the MITEs (terMITE1-Tc1/mariner superfamily; terMITE2-piggyBac superfamily), evidence of past mobility was retrieved. Moreover, these two MITEs contained core repeats, 16 bp and 114 bp long respectively, exhibiting copy number variation. In terMITE2, the tandem duplication appeared associated with element degeneration, in line with a recently proposed evolutionary model on MITEs and the origin of tandem arrays. Concerning their genomic distribution, terMITE1 and terMITE3 appeared more frequently inserted close to coding regions while terMITE2 was mostly associated with TEs. Although MITEs are commonly distributed in coding regions, terMITE2 distribution is in line with that of other insects' piggyBac-related elements and of other small TEs found in termite genomes. This has been explained through insertional preference rather than through selective processes. Data presented here add to the knowledge on the poorly exploited polyneopteran genomes and will provide an interesting framework in which to study TEs' evolution and host's life history traits.

Controlled activation of retrotransposition for plant breeding

Plant genomes consist to a large extent of transposable elements (TEs), predominantly retrotransposons. Their accumulation through periodic transposition bursts has shaped the structure and regulatory organization of plant genomes, often contributing to phenotypic traits. Transposon-generated phenotypes selected by humans during plant domestication have been maintained under strict selection during subsequent plant breeding. Our knowledge of the epigenetic, environmental, and developmental regulation of TE activity has advanced considerably in recent years. Here I will consider TEs as an attractive endogenous source of genetic variation that can be liberated in a controlled fashion and thus offer novel phenotypic diversity to be selected for crop improvement.

Comparative genomic analysis reveals multiple long terminal repeats, lineage-specific amplification, and frequent interelement recombination for Cassandra retrotransposon in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.)

Cassandra transposable elements belong to a specific group of terminal-repeat retrotransposons in miniature (TRIM). Although Cassandra TRIM elements have been found in almost all vascular plants, detailed investigations on the nature, abundance, amplification timeframe, and evolution have not been performed in an individual genome. We therefore conducted a comprehensive analysis of Cassandra retrotransposons using the newly sequenced pear genome along with four other Rosaceae species, including apple, peach, mei, and woodland strawberry. Our data reveal several interesting findings for this particular retrotransposon family: 1) A large number of the intact copies contain three, four, or five long terminal repeats (LTRs) (∼20% in pear); 2) intact copies and solo LTRs with or without target site duplications are both common (∼80% vs. 20%) in each genome; 3) the elements exhibit an overall unbiased distribution among the chromosomes; 4) the elements are most successfully amplified in pear (5,032 copies); and 5) the evolutionary relationships of these elements vary among different lineages, species, and evolutionary time. These results indicate that Cassandra retrotransposons contain more complex structures (elements with multiple LTRs) than what we have known previously, and that frequent interelement unequal recombination followed by transposition may play a critical role in shaping and reshaping host genomes. Thus this study provides insights into the property, propensity, and molecular mechanisms governing the formation and amplification of Cassandra retrotransposons, and enhances our understanding of the structural variation, evolutionary history, and transposition process of LTR retrotransposons in plants.

mRNA and Small RNA Transcriptomes Reveal Insights into Dynamic Homoeolog Regulation of Allopolyploid Heterosis in Nascent Hexaploid Wheat

Nascent allohexaploid wheat may represent the initial genetic state of common wheat (Triticum aestivum), which arose as a hybrid between Triticum turgidum (AABB) and Aegilops tauschii (DD) and by chromosome doubling and outcompeted its parents in growth vigor and adaptability. To better understand the molecular basis for this success, we performed mRNA and small RNA transcriptome analyses in nascent allohexaploid wheat and its following generations, their progenitors, and the natural allohexaploid cultivar Chinese Spring, with the assistance of recently published A and D genome sequences. We found that nonadditively expressed protein-coding genes were rare but relevant to growth vigor. Moreover, a high proportion of protein-coding genes exhibited parental expression level dominance, with genes for which the total homoeolog expression level in the progeny was similar to that in T. turgidum potentially participating in development and those with similar expression to that in Ae. tauschii involved in adaptation. In addition, a high proportion of microRNAs showed nonadditive expression upon polyploidization, potentially leading to differential expression of important target genes. Furthermore, increased small interfering RNA density was observed for transposable element-associated D homoeologs in the allohexaploid progeny, which may account for biased repression of D homoeologs. Together, our data provide insights into small RNA-mediated dynamic homoeolog regulation mechanisms that may contribute to heterosis in nascent hexaploid wheat.

Impact of an intragenic retrotransposon on the structural integrity and evolution of a major isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway gene in Hevea brasiliensis

Isoprenoids belong to a large family of structurally and functionally different natural compounds found universally from prokaryotes to higher animals and plants. In Hevea brasiliensis, the commercially important cis-polyisoprene (rubber) is synthesised as part of its defence mechanism in addition to other common isoprenoids like phytosterols, growth hormones etc. Farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDPS) is a key enzyme in this process which catalyses the conversion of isoprene units into polyisoprene. Although prior sequence information is available, the structural variants of the FDPS gene presently existing in Hevea population are largely unknown. Since gene structure has a major role in gene regulation, extensive sequence analysis of this gene from different genotypes was carried out to identify the prevailing structural variants. We identified several SNPs and large indels which were associated with a partial transposable element (TE). Modification of key regulatory motifs and splice sites induced by the retroelement was also identified in the first intron. Screening of popular rubber clones, wild germplasm accessions and Hevea species revealed that the retroelement is responsible for the generation of new alleles with varying degrees of sequence homology. Segregation analysis of a progeny population confirmed that the alleles are not paralogs and are inherited in a Mendelian mode. Our findings suggest that the first intron of the FDPS gene has been subjected to various chromosomal rearrangements due to the interaction of a retrotransposon, resulting in novel alleles which may substantially contribute towards the evolution of this major gene in rubber. Moreover, the results indicate the possible existence of a retrotransposon-mediated epigenetic gene regulatory mechanism in Hevea.

Characterization of the LTR retrotransposon repertoire of a plant clade of six diploid and one tetraploid species

Comparisons of closely related species are needed to understand the fine-scale dynamics of retrotransposon evolution in flowering plants. Towards this goal, we classified the long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons from six diploid and one tetraploid species of Orobanchaceae. The study species are the autotrophic, non-parasitic Lindenbergia philippensis (as an out-group) and six closely related holoparasitic species of Orobanche [O. crenata, O. cumana, O. gracilis (tetraploid) and O. pancicii] and Phelipanche (P. lavandulacea and P. ramosa). All major plant LTR retrotransposon clades could be identified, and appear to be inherited from a common ancestor. Species of Orobanche, but not Phelipanche, are enriched in Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons due to a diversification of elements, especially chromoviruses. This is particularly striking in O. gracilis, where tetraploidization seems to have contributed to the Ty3/Gypsy enrichment and led to the emergence of seven large species-specific families of chromoviruses. The preferential insertion of chromoviruses in heterochromatin via their chromodomains might have favored their diversification and enrichment. Our phylogenetic analyses of LTR retrotransposons from Orobanchaceae also revealed that the Bianca clade of Ty1/Copia and the SMART-related elements are much more widely distributed among angiosperms than previously known.

Genome-wide survey and comparative analysis of LTR retrotransposons and their captured genes in rice and sorghum

Long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are the major class I mobile elements in plants. They play crucial roles in gene expansion, diversification and evolution. However, their captured genes are yet to be genome-widely identified and characterized in most of plants although many genomes have been completely sequenced. In this study, we have identified 7,043 and 23,915 full-length LTR retrotransposons in the rice and sorghum genomes, respectively. High percentages of rice full-length LTR retrotransposons were distributed near centromeric region in each of the chromosomes. In contrast, sorghum full-length LTR retrotransposons were not enriched in centromere regions. This dissimilarity could be due to the discrepant retrotransposition during and after divergence from their common ancestor thus might be contributing to species divergence. A total of 672 and 1,343 genes have been captured by these elements in rice and sorghum, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that no over-represented GO term was identified in LTR captured rice genes. For LTR captured sorghum genes, GO terms with functions in DNA/RNA metabolism and chromatin organization were over-represented. Only 36% of LTR captured rice genes were expressed and expression divergence was estimated as 11.9%. Higher percentage of LTR captured rice genes have evolved into pseudogenes under neutral selection. On the contrary, higher percentage of LTR captured sorghum genes were under purifying selection and 72.4% of them were expressed. Thus, higher percentage of LTR captured sorghum genes was functional. Small RNA analysis suggested that some of LTR captured genes in rice and sorghum might have been involved in negative regulation. On the other hand, positive selection has been observed in both rice and sorghum LTR captured genes and some of them were still expressed and functional. The data suggest that some of these LTR captured genes might have evolved into new gene functions.

TARE1, a mutated Copia-like LTR retrotransposon followed by recent massive amplification in tomato

Long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) are the major DNA components in flowering plants. Most LTR-RTs contain dinucleotides ‘TG’ and ‘CA’ at the ends of the two LTRs. Here we report the structure, evolution, and propensity of a tomato atypical retrotransposon element (TARE1) with both LTRs starting as ‘TA’. This family is also characterized by high copy numbers (354 copies), short LTR size (194 bp), extremely low ratio of solo LTRs to intact elements (0.05∶1), recent insertion (most within 0.75∼1.75 million years, Mys), and enrichment in pericentromeric region. The majority (83%) of the TARE1 elements are shared between S. lycopersicum and its wild relative S. pimpinellifolium, but none of them are found in potato. In the present study, we used shared LTR-RTs as molecular markers and estimated the divergence time between S. lycopersicum and S. pimpinellifolium to be <0.5 Mys. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the TARE1 elements, together with two closely related families, TARE2 and TGRE1, have formed a sub-lineage belonging to a Copia-like Ale lineage. Although TARE1 and TARE2 shared similar structural characteristics, the timing, scale, and activity of their amplification were found to be substantially different. We further propose a model wherein a single mutation from ‘G’ to ‘A’ in 3′ LTR followed by amplification is responsible for the origin of TARE1, thus providing evidence that the proliferation of a spontaneous mutation can be mediated by the amplification of LTR-RTs at the level of RNA.

Arguments for standardizing transposable element annotation in plant genomes

Whole genome sequence assemblies have been generated for many plants. Annotation of transposable elements (TEs), which constitute the major proportion of genomes and play a significant role in epigenome alterations under stress, has not been given equal importance to that of genes. In this opinion article, we argue that the lack of focus dedicated to the fine-scale characterization of repeat fractions and the absence of consistent methods for their annotation impede our ability to critically understand the influence of TEs on the epigenome with implications in gene expression and non-Mendelian inheritance. Major structural changes occur over an evolutionary time scale. However, epigenetic regulation mediated by TEs can happen in a single generation, thus emphasizing the need for their standardized annotation.

Co-evolution of plant LTR-retrotransposons and their host genomes

Transposable elements (TEs), particularly, long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs), are the most abundant DNA components in all plant species that have been investigated, and are largely responsible for plant genome size variation. Although plant genomes have experienced periodic proliferation and/or recent burst of LTR-retrotransposons, the majority of LTR-RTs are inactivated by DNA methylation and small RNA-mediated silencing mechanisms, and/or were deleted/truncated by unequal homologous recombination and illegitimate recombination, as suppression mechanisms that counteract genome expansion caused by LTR-RT amplification. LTR-RT DNA is generally enriched in pericentromeric regions of the host genomes, which appears to be the outcomes of preferential insertions of LTR-RTs in these regions and low effectiveness of selection that purges LTR-RT DNA from these regions relative to chromosomal arms. Potential functions of various TEs in their host genomes remain blurry; nevertheless, LTR-RTs have been recognized to play important roles in maintaining chromatin structures and centromere functions and regulation of gene expressions in their host genomes.

A novel family of terminal-repeat retrotransposon in miniature (TRIM) in the genome of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus

We report the first described non-plant family of TRIMs (terminal-repeat retrotransposons in miniature), which are small nonautonomous LTR retrotransposons, from the whole-genome sequence of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae). Members of this retrotransposon family, named PbTRIM, have typical features of plant TRIMs in length and structure, although they share no overall sequence similarity. PbTRIM elements and their solo-LTRs are abundant in the host genome and exhibit an uneven distribution pattern. Elements are preferentially inserted into TA-rich regions with ATAT as the most common pattern of target site duplication (TSD). PbTRIM is most likely mobile as indicated by the young age of many complete elements, the high degree of sequence similarity among elements at different genomic locations, the abundance of elements in the host genome, and the presence of 4-bp target site duplications (TSDs) flanking the elements and solo-LTRs. Many PbTRIM elements and their solo-LTRs are located within or near genes, suggesting their potential roles in restructuring the host genes and genome. Database search, PCR and sequencing analysis revealed the presence of homologous PbTRIM elements in other ant species. The high sequence similarity between elements from distantly related ant species, the incongruence between the phylogenies of PbTRIM and its hosts, and the patchy distribution of the retroelement within the Myrmicinae subfamily indicate possible horizontal transfer events of the retroelement.

[Identification and analysis methods of plant LTR retrotransposon sequences]

LTR retrotransposons are an important class of eukaryotic transposable elements, which are ubiquitous and highly heterogeneous in plant and play a major role in genome evolution of eukaryote. They are now extensively employed in gene function and genetic diversity analyses. Identification of LTR retrotransposons is the precondition for its application. Therefore, it has important theoretical significance and practical application value in studying identification and analysis methods LTR retrotransposon sequences. Bioinformatic software of the sequence analysis, according to the work principle, can be classified roughly into two types: sequence alignment and sequence identification of conserved domains. Alignment software, such as BLAST and DNAstar, produce the corresponding sequence information through comparison of sequence similarity; however, this kind of software cannot be applied for full length sequences. According to the principle, LTR retro-transposon sequence identification software can be roughly sorted into four types: de novo repeat discovery method, com-parative genomic method, homology-based method, and structure-based method. For example, LTR_Finder based on de novo repeat discovery method can accurately predict and annotate LTR retrotransposons for full length sequences; Repeat-Masker, which is based on homology-based method, can discover LTR retrotransposons by comparing the similarity with known sequences in the database. In this article, different methods of identification and analysis of retrotransposon se-quences were compared and analyzed, and a set of flow of LTR retrotransposons sequence analysis was summarized in order to provide the reference for LTR retrotransposons sequence analysis.

Functional and structural divergence of an unusual LTR retrotransposon family in plants

Retrotransposons with long terminal repeats (LTRs) more than 3 kb are not frequent in most eukaryotic genomes. Rice LTR retrotransposon, Retrosat2, has LTRs greater than 3.2 kb and two open reading frames (ORF): ORF1 encodes enzymes for retrotransposition whereas no function can be assigned to ORF0 as it is not found in any other organism. A variety of experimental and in silico approaches were used to determine the origin of Retrosat2 and putative function of ORF0. Our data show that not only is Retrosat2 highly abundant in the Oryza genus, it may yet be active in rice. Homologs of Retrosat2 were identified in maize, sorghum, Arabidopsis and other plant genomes suggesting that the Retrosat2 family is of ancient origin. Several putatively cis-acting elements, some multicopy, that regulate retrotransposon replication or responsiveness to environmental factors were found in the LTRs of Retrosat2. Unlike the ORF1, the ORF0 sequences from Retrosat2 and homologs are divergent at the sequence level, 3D-structures and predicted biological functions. In contrast to other retrotransposon families, Retrosat2 and its homologs are dispersed throughout genomes and not concentrated in the specific chromosomal regions, such as centromeres. The genomic distribution of Retrosat2 homologs varies across species which likely reflects the differing evolutionary trajectories of this retrotransposon family across diverse species.