Diverse Mariner‐like elements in fig wasps

Abstract

Mariner transposable elements are widespread and diverse in insects. We screened 10 species of fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) for mariner elements. All 10 species harbour a large diversity of mariner elements, most of which have interrupted reading frames in the transposase gene region, suggesting that they are inactive and ancient. We sequenced two full-length mariner elements and found evidence to suggest that they are inserted in the genome at a conserved region shared by other hymenopteran taxa. The association between mariner elements and fig wasps is old and dominated by vertical transmission, suggesting that these 'selfish genetic elements' have evolved to impart only very low costs to their hosts.

Ficus spp. (fig): Ethnobotany and potential as anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents

“…For Ficus carica, for example, the dedicated pollinating wasp species is Blastophaga psenes (L.) Grav. The female pollinating wasp enters the fig through the ostiole, or through exit holes in the fig wall, prepared for the female by the male of its species, who dies soon after performing this function (Haine et al, 2007;Marussich and Machado, 2007;Proffit et al, 2007). The female pollinator wasp may seek out more than one receptive fig tree, recognizing a tree's availability by specific volatile compounds (Grison-Pige et al, 2002).…”

Diversity of transposable elements and repeats in a 600 kb region of the fly Calliphora vicina

“…The Cv-mar1 element shows 70% to 80% identity with multiple Mariner elements described in different insect species [33-35] besides Desmar1 [25]. The whole genome sequences of Mayetiola, Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera), Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera) and Anopheles gambiae (Nematocera) include fragments of this element (500 to 800 bp long) with 80% identity.…”

Diversity and evolution of Ty1‐copia retroelements within Chalcidoidea by reverse transcriptase domain analysis

“…However, both inbreeding and male haploidy are expected to decrease the number of TEs in host genomes and their diversity (Bigot et al ., ; Hurst & Werren, ). This means that species like the wasps analysed in this study, should be subjected to special depauperation of TEs (Haine et al ., ).…”

“…A similar situation was also found in the study of the mariner ‐like DNA transposable elements (MLEs) in fig wasps (Haine et al ., ). Haine et al .…”

“…On the other hand, in haplodiploid species the recessive deleterious mutations caused by TE insertions are more effectively eliminated by natural selection in haploid males (Bigot et al ., ; Bigot et al ., ; Lorite et al ., ). Consequently, a rational prediction is that a reduction in TEs should be observed in taxa showing both inbreeding and haplodiploidy (Haine et al ., ); however, two recent genomic studies on chalcid wasps with both haplodipoidy and inbreeding implied that TEs could vary greatly in content and diversity in Chalcidoidea. (Werren et al ., ; Xiao et al ., ).…”