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Anaconda, a new class of transposon belonging to the Mu superfamily, has diversified by acquiring host genes during rice evolution

Molecular Genetics and Genomics volume 274, Article number: 606 (2005) Cite this article

Abstract

A new type of transposon, named Anaconda (Anac) has been found in rice (Oryza sativa). In this paper, we demonstrate that Anaconda elements have diversified by acquisition of host cellular genes, amplification of the elements, and substitution and deletion of short segments. We identified four Anaconda elements in studies of rice alternative oxidase (AOX) genes, and subsequently isolated an additional 23 elements based on the identity of their terminal inverted repeats (TIRs). The Anaconda elements have long TIRs (114–458 bp). They also have direct repeats of 9 or 10 bp in their flanking regions that are thought to have been generated upon transposition. These structural features reveal that the Anaconda elements belong to the Mu superfamily. The most prominent feature of the Anaconda elements is the high frequency with which they have acquired host cellular genes. Of the 27 elements found here, 19 appear to have sequences presumably derived from rice genes, for example, the genes for AOX1c (four elements), cytochrome P450 (five elements), l-asparaginase (five elements), and PCF8 (two elements). Four elements, AnacA1–A4, have both the AOX1c and P450 genes. One element, AnacB14, involves a gene similar to mudrA of maize MuDR. Database analyses revealed that the loci of 26 of the 27 Anaconda elements in the subspecies japonica are the same as those in the subspecies indica. This suggests that these elements were incorporated before the divergence of these two subspecies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Professors E. Ohtsubo and P. Schnable for their helpful suggestions. This work was partly supported by grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan. KO acknowledges the support of JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. This work has been carried out in compliance with the current laws governing genetic experimentation in Japan.

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Author notes

  1. Kazuhiro Ohtsu

    Present address: Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, 2049 Carver Co-Lab, Ames, IA, 50011-3650, USA

  2. Atsushi Hirai

    Present address: Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Meijo University, 1-501 Shiogamaguchi, 468-8502, Nagoya, Japan

Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, 113-8657, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuhiro Ohtsu, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Atsushi Hirai & Mikio Nakazono

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, 113-8657, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiro-Yuki Hirano

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  1. Kazuhiro Ohtsu
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Correspondence to Kazuhiro Ohtsu.

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Communicated by R. McCombie

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Ohtsu, K., Hirano, HY., Tsutsumi, N. et al. Anaconda, a new class of transposon belonging to the Mu superfamily, has diversified by acquiring host genes during rice evolution. Mol Genet Genomics 274, 606 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-005-0053-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-005-0053-0

Keywords

  • Transposable elements
  • Mutator
  • Alternative oxidase
  • Gene acquisition
  • Diversity