An overview of irritans-mariner transposons in two Mayetiola species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

• Published in: European journal of entomology Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 379 - 390
• Main Authors: BEN AMARA, Wiem, DJEBBI, Salma, BOUKTILA, Dhia, MAKNI, Mohamed, MAKNI, Hanem, MEZGHANI-KHEMAKHEM, Maha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ceske Budejovice Institute of Entomology 01.01.2017; Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
• Subjects: Cations; Cecidomyiidae; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diptera; Disease transmission; DNA; DNA methylation; Drosophila; Evolution; Gene expression; Genomes; Genomics; in silico analysis; in vitro experiments; Insects; irritans subfamily; mariner-like element; Mayetiola; Mayetiola destructor; mayetiola hordei; Mutation; Sitodiplosis mosellana; Speciation; Species; Transposase; Transposons
• ISSN: 1210-5759; 1802-8829
• DOI: 10.14411/eje.2017.049

Mariner-like elements (MLEs) are widespread Class II transposable elements in insects that are subdivided into several subfamilies. In the current study, we carried out in silico analysis and in vitro experiments to identify MLEs belonging to the irritans subfamily in two cecidomyiid fl ies, Mayetiola destructor and M. hordei. In silico investigation of M. destructor genome allowed the identifi cation of 25 irritans-like elements, which were mostly defective due to several mutations. These defective forms might be the remnants of active elements that ancestrally invaded the host genome. Structural analyses, including signature motifs and transposase-encoding ORFs, revealed structural heterogeneity and the presence of two full length copies. Five consensuses, refl ecting the probable evolutionary groups of these elements, were constructed, based on a similarity matrix. The fi rst consensus (Maymarconsl) belonged to Himar1-like elements reported in other insects, while the remaining four (Maymarcons2 to 5) seemed to be more specifi c to Cecidomyiidae. Moreover, the presence of elements belonging to the Maymarcons4 group was ascertained by PCR amplifi cation, in both Mayetiola species, and was further identifi ed in the Transcriptome Shotgun Assembly (TSA) of the orange fl y, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Cecidomyiidae), suggesting the existence of irritans elements within the Cecidomyiidae, which were derived from an ancestral species by vertical transmission during speciation. On the other hand, consensuses that are specifi c to M. destructor could be derived from a more recent invasion. This study suggests that both M. destructor and M. hordei genomes have been invaded by irritans elements many times with at least two different evolutionary histories.