Nezha, a novel active miniature inverted-repeat transposable element in cyanobacteria

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 365; no. 4; pp. 790 - 794
• Main Authors: Zhou, Fengfeng, Tran, Thao, Xu, Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25.01.2008
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Anabaena variabilis; Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413; BACTERIA; CELL PROLIFERATION; Chromosome Mapping - methods; CYANOBACTERIA; Cyanobacteria - genetics; Cyanophyta; DNA; DNA Transposable Elements - genetics; DNA transposon; Genome, Bacterial - genetics; Miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE); Nostoc; Nostoc sp. PCC 7120; PLANTS; Recent transposition; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics; RNA; DNA transposon; Nostoc sp. PCC 7120; Cyanobacteria; Bacteria; Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413; Recent transposition; Miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE)
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.11.038

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) were first identified in plants and exerted extensive proliferations throughout eukaryotic and archaeal genomes. But very few MITEs have been characterized in bacteria. We identified a novel MITE, called Nezha, in cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 and Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Nezha, like most previously known MITEs in other organisms, is small in size, non-coding, carrying TIR and DR signals, and of potential to form a stable RNA secondary structure, and it tends to insert into A+T-rich regions. Recent transpositions of Nezha were observed in A. variabilis ATCC 29413 and Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, respectively. Nezha might have proliferated recently with aid from the transposase encoded by IS Npu3-like elements. A possible horizontal transfer event of Nezha from cyanobacteria to Polaromonas JS666 is also observed.