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New Drosophila P-like elements and reclassification of Drosophila P-elements subfamilies

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Abstract

Genomic searches for P-like transposable elements were performed (1) in silico in the 12 available Drosophila genomes and (2) by PCR using degenerate primers in 21 Neotropical Drosophila species. In silico searches revealed P-like sequences only in Drosophila persimilis and Drosophila willistoni. Sixteen new P-like elements were obtained by PCR. These sequences were added to sequences of previously described P-like elements, and a phylogenetic analysis was performed. The subfamilies of P-elements described in the literature (Canonical, M, O, T, and K) were included in the reconstructed tree, and all were monophyletic. However, we suggest that some subfamilies can be enlarged, other subdivided, and some new subfamilies may be proposed, totalizing eleven subfamilies, most of which contain new P-like sequences. Our analyses support the monophyly of P-like elements in Drosophilidae. We suggest that, once these elements need host-specific factors to be mobilizable, the horizontal transfer (HT) of P-like elements may be inhibited among more distant taxa. Nevertheless, HT among Drosophilidae species appears to be a common phenomenon.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Luciano Basso da Silva and to Dr. Marco Silva Gottschalk for their assistance in Drosophila species identification; M.Sc. Bruna Corrêa for help with the R scripts and two anonymous reviewers for suggestions. This work was supported by CNPq, CAPES (PNPD), and Pronex-FAPERGS (10/0028-7).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dep de Biologia, CCNE, Santa Maria Federal University, Av. Roraima 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Elgion L. S. Loreto

  2. PPGBM, UFRGS, Univ. Fed do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Elgion L. S. Loreto, Francis M. B. Zambra & Mauro F. Ortiz

  3. ICB, Univ. Fed. do Rio Grande—FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil

    Lizandra J. Robe

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  1. Elgion L. S. Loreto
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  2. Francis M. B. Zambra
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  3. Mauro F. Ortiz
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Correspondence to Elgion L. S. Loreto.

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Communicated by G. Reuter.

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Loreto, E.L.S., Zambra, F.M.B., Ortiz, M.F. et al. New Drosophila P-like elements and reclassification of Drosophila P-elements subfamilies. Mol Genet Genomics 287, 531–540 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-012-0691-y

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