Internal initiation of reverse transcription in a Penelope-like retrotransposon
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13100_2024_Article_322.pdf
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1.73 MB
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Checksum (MD5)
b23a60a70b84b80d57a4bddecffcfc18
Author(s)
Frangieh, Chris J.
Wilkinson, Max E.
Strebinger, Daniel
Strecker, Jonathan
Walsh, Michelle L.
Faure, Guilhem
Yushenova, Irina A.
Macrae, Rhiannon K.
Arkhipova, Irina R.
Zhang, Feng
Date Issued
June 11, 2024
Journal
Mobile DNA
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Citation
Frangieh, C.J., Wilkinson, M.E., Strebinger, D. et al. Internal initiation of reverse transcription in a Penelope-like retrotransposon. Mobile DNA 15, 12 (2024).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Eukaryotic retroelements are generally divided into two classes: long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons and non-LTR retrotransposons. A third class of eukaryotic retroelement, the Penelope-like elements (PLEs), has been well-characterized bioinformatically, but relatively little is known about the transposition mechanism of these elements. PLEs share some features with the R2 retrotransposon from Bombyx mori, which uses a target-primed reverse transcription (TPRT) mechanism, but their distinct phylogeny suggests PLEs may utilize a novel mechanism of mobilization. Using protein purified from E. coli, we report unique in vitro properties of a PLE from the green anole (Anolis carolinensis), revealing mechanistic aspects not shared by other retrotransposons. We found that reverse transcription is initiated at two adjacent sites within the transposon RNA that is not homologous to the cleaved DNA, a feature that is reflected in the genomic “tail” signature shared between and unique to PLEs. Our results for the first active PLE in vitro provide a starting point for understanding PLE mobilization and biology.
MIT Department
McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-024-00322-z
