A Non-Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposon Family Is Restricted to the Germ Line Micronucleus of the Ciliated Protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila Journal Articles uri icon

  •  
  • Overview
  •  
  • Research
  •  
  • Identity
  •  
  • Additional Document Info
  •  
  • View All
  •  

abstract

  • ABSTRACT The ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila undergoes extensive programmed DNA rearrangements during the development of a somatic macronucleus from the germ line micronucleus in its sexual cycle. To investigate the relationship between programmed DNA rearrangements and transposable elements, we identified several members of a family of non-long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons (retroposons) in T. thermophila , the first characterized in the ciliated protozoa. This multiple-copy retrotransposon family is restricted to the micronucleus of T. thermophila . The REP ( Tetrahymena non-LTR retroposon) elements encode an ORF2 typical of non-LTR elements that contains apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APE) and reverse transcriptase (RT) domains. Phylogenetic analysis of the RT and APE domains indicates that the element forms a deep-branching clade within the non-LTR retrotransposon family. Northern analysis with a probe to the conserved RT domain indicates that transcripts from the element are small and heterogeneous in length during early macronuclear development. The presence of a repeated transposable element in the genome is consistent with the model that programmed DNA deletion in T. thermophila evolved as a method of eliminating deleterious transposons from the somatic macronucleus.

authors

  • Fillingham, Jeffrey S
  • Thing, Trine A
  • Vythilingum, Nama
  • Keuroghlian, Alex
  • Bruno, Deanna
  • Golding, Brian
  • Pearlman, Ronald E

publication date

  • February 2004

has subject area