The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transposable elements (TEs) are major contributors to genome evolution. One factor that influences their evolutionary dynamics is whether their host reproduces through selfing or through outcrossing. According to the recombinational...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: de la Chaux Nicole, Tsuchimatsu Takashi, Shimizu Kentaro K, Wagner Andreas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2012-02-01
Series:Mobile DNA
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mobilednajournal.com/content/3/1/2
_version_ 1818327474376802304
author de la Chaux Nicole
Tsuchimatsu Takashi
Shimizu Kentaro K
Wagner Andreas
author_facet de la Chaux Nicole
Tsuchimatsu Takashi
Shimizu Kentaro K
Wagner Andreas
author_sort de la Chaux Nicole
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transposable elements (TEs) are major contributors to genome evolution. One factor that influences their evolutionary dynamics is whether their host reproduces through selfing or through outcrossing. According to the recombinational spreading hypothesis, for instance, TEs can spread more easily in outcrossing species through recombination, and should thus be less abundant in selfing species. We here studied the distribution and evolutionary dynamics of TE families in the predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>and its close outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata </it>on a genome-wide scale. We characterized differences in TE abundance between them and asked which, if any, existing hypotheses about TE abundances may explain these differences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified 1,819 TE families representing all known classes of TEs in both species, and found three times more copies in the outcrossing <it>A. lyrata </it>than in the predominantly selfing <it>A. thaliana</it>, as well as ten times more TE families unique to <it>A. lyrata</it>. On average, elements in <it>A. lyrata </it>are younger than elements in <it>A</it>. <it>thaliana</it>. In particular, <it>A. thaliana </it>shows a marked decrease in element number that occurred during the most recent 10% of the time interval since <it>A. thaliana </it>split from <it>A. lyrata</it>. This most recent period in the evolution of <it>A. thaliana </it>started approximately 500,000 years ago, assuming a splitting time of 5 million years ago, and coincides with the time at which predominant selfing originated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that the mating system may be important for determining TE copy number, and that selfing species are likely to have fewer TEs.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-13T12:16:51Z
format Article
id doaj.art-68dd59f70f954256b6f427f75781939e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1759-8753
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T12:16:51Z
publishDate 2012-02-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Mobile DNA
spelling doaj.art-68dd59f70f954256b6f427f75781939e2022-12-21T23:46:42ZengBMCMobile DNA1759-87532012-02-0131210.1186/1759-8753-3-2The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>de la Chaux NicoleTsuchimatsu TakashiShimizu Kentaro KWagner Andreas<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transposable elements (TEs) are major contributors to genome evolution. One factor that influences their evolutionary dynamics is whether their host reproduces through selfing or through outcrossing. According to the recombinational spreading hypothesis, for instance, TEs can spread more easily in outcrossing species through recombination, and should thus be less abundant in selfing species. We here studied the distribution and evolutionary dynamics of TE families in the predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>and its close outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata </it>on a genome-wide scale. We characterized differences in TE abundance between them and asked which, if any, existing hypotheses about TE abundances may explain these differences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified 1,819 TE families representing all known classes of TEs in both species, and found three times more copies in the outcrossing <it>A. lyrata </it>than in the predominantly selfing <it>A. thaliana</it>, as well as ten times more TE families unique to <it>A. lyrata</it>. On average, elements in <it>A. lyrata </it>are younger than elements in <it>A</it>. <it>thaliana</it>. In particular, <it>A. thaliana </it>shows a marked decrease in element number that occurred during the most recent 10% of the time interval since <it>A. thaliana </it>split from <it>A. lyrata</it>. This most recent period in the evolution of <it>A. thaliana </it>started approximately 500,000 years ago, assuming a splitting time of 5 million years ago, and coincides with the time at which predominant selfing originated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that the mating system may be important for determining TE copy number, and that selfing species are likely to have fewer TEs.</p>http://www.mobilednajournal.com/content/3/1/2transposable elements<it>Arabidopsis</it>mating systemevolutionary dynamics
spellingShingle de la Chaux Nicole
Tsuchimatsu Takashi
Shimizu Kentaro K
Wagner Andreas
The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
Mobile DNA
transposable elements
<it>Arabidopsis</it>
mating system
evolutionary dynamics
title The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
title_full The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
title_fullStr The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
title_full_unstemmed The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
title_short The predominantly selfing plant <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative <it>Arabidopsis lyrata</it>
title_sort predominantly selfing plant it arabidopsis thaliana it experienced a recent reduction in transposable element abundance compared to its outcrossing relative it arabidopsis lyrata it
topic transposable elements
<it>Arabidopsis</it>
mating system
evolutionary dynamics
url http://www.mobilednajournal.com/content/3/1/2
work_keys_str_mv AT delachauxnicole thepredominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT tsuchimatsutakashi thepredominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT shimizukentarok thepredominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT wagnerandreas thepredominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT delachauxnicole predominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT tsuchimatsutakashi predominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT shimizukentarok predominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait
AT wagnerandreas predominantlyselfingplantitarabidopsisthalianaitexperiencedarecentreductionintransposableelementabundancecomparedtoitsoutcrossingrelativeitarabidopsislyratait