4.8 Article

Chiropterans Are a Hotspot for Horizontal Transfer of DNA Transposons in Mammalia

Journal

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Volume 40, Issue 5, Pages -

Publisher

OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad092

Keywords

endogenous retrovirus; fusogenic envelope protein; monotremes; echidna; platypus

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Bats are a hotspot for horizontal transfer of DNA transposons, with over 200 putative HT elements found within bats. These events broadly coincide with the diversification of several bat clades, supporting the hypothesis that DNA transposon invasions have contributed to genetic diversification of bats.
Horizontal transfer of transposable elements (TEs) is an important mechanism contributing to genetic diversity and innovation. Bats (order Chiroptera) have repeatedly been shown to experience horizontal transfer of TEs at what appears to be a high rate compared with other mammals. We investigated the occurrence of horizontally transferred (HT) DNA transposons involving bats. We found over 200 putative HT elements within bats; 16 transposons were shared across distantly related mammalian clades, and 2 other elements were shared with a fish and two lizard species. Our results indicate that bats are a hotspot for horizontal transfer of DNA transposons. These events broadly coincide with the diversification of several bat clades, supporting the hypothesis that DNA transposon invasions have contributed to genetic diversification of bats.

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