Transduplication resulted in the incorporation of two protein-coding sequences into the Turmoil-1 transposable element of C. elegans
2008
Transduplication in C. elegans
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Sela Noa, Stern Adi, Makalowski Wojciech, Pupko Tal, Ast Gil
Primary Institution: Tel Aviv University
Hypothesis
Transposable elements may acquire unrelated gene fragments into their sequences in a process called transduplication.
Conclusion
The study reveals that the Turmoil-1 transposable element in C. elegans has captured two unrelated coding sequences within its inverted terminal repeats.
Supporting Evidence
- Transduplication is common in plants but unknown in animals.
- The study strengthens the hypothesis that protein domains may be mobilized by transposable elements.
- Mutations at the 5' splice site may have reactivated the transduplicated RNA recognition motif.
Takeaway
Scientists found that a part of the DNA in a tiny worm can grab pieces of other genes, which is something we usually see in plants but not in animals.
Limitations
The potential new open reading frame may not be transcriptionally active as there is no supporting evidence.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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