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Multiple subfamilies of mariner transposable elements are present in stalk-eyed flies (Diptera: Diopsidae)

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Abstract

The Diopsid stalk-eyed flies are an increasingly well-studied group. Presented here is evidence of the first known transposable elements discovered in these flies. The vertumnana mariner subfamily was identified in the Diopsini tribe, but could not be amplified in species of the Sphyracephalini tribe. PCR screening with degenerate primers revealed that multiple mariner subfamilies are present within the Diopsidae. Most of the sequenced elements appear to be pseudogenes; however two subfamilies are shown to be evolving under purifying selection, raising the possibility that mariner is active in some Diopsid species. Evidence is presented of a possible horizontal transfer event involving an unknown Teleopsis species and the Tephritid fly Bactrocera neohumeralis.

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Abbreviations

dsx :

double sex

GTR+I+Γ:

general time reversible nucleotide substitution model, with a proportion of invariant sites and a gamma correction for rate variation amongst sites

MCMC:

Markov chain Monte Carlo

ML:

maximum likelihood

tnpase :

transposase

mar :

Mariner element

Cs :

Cladodiopsis seyrigi

Dc :

Diasemopsis comoroensis

Dd :

Diasemopsis dubia

Dm :

Diasemopsis meigenii

Ds :

Diasemopsis signata

Sb :

Sphyracephala beccarii

Se :

Sphyracephala europaea

Tb :

Teleopsis breviscopium

Td :

Teleopsis dalmanni

Tqd :

Teleopsis quadriguttata

Tq :

Teleopsis quinqueguttata

Tr :

Teleopsis rubicunda

Ts :

Teleopsis species n.

Tw :

Teleopsis whitei

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Acknowledgements

The author is very grateful to Sandie Baldauf for kindly providing laboratory space during the completion of this work. Marion Kotrba provided genomic DNA from C. seyrigi. Andrew Pomiankowski, Kevin Fowler, Hazel Smith and Samuel Cotton kindly provided individuals from all other Diopsid species. John Brookfield provided useful comments on an initial draft of the manuscript. Marianne Frommer and Dick Drew provided comments on aspects of Bactrocera biology. Sara Goodacre, Richard Emes and Gemma Atkinson provided helpful discussion on aspects of the work.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5YW, UK

    Martin Carr

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Correspondence to Martin Carr.

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Carr, M. Multiple subfamilies of mariner transposable elements are present in stalk-eyed flies (Diptera: Diopsidae). Genetica 132, 113–122 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-007-9157-2

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