Interpopulation variation of transposable elements of the hAT superfamily in Drosophila willistoni (Diptera: Drosophilidae): in-situ approach

Abstract

Transposable elements are abundant and dynamic part of the genome, influencing organisms in different ways through their presence or mobilization, or by acting directly on pre- and post-transcriptional regulatory regions. We compared and evaluated the presence, structure, and copy number of three hAT superfamily transposons ( hobo, BuT2 , and mar ) in five strains of Drosophila willistoni species . These D. willistoni strains are of different geographical origins, sampled across the north-south occurrence of this species. We used sequenced clones of the hAT elements in fluorescence in-situ hybridizations in the polytene chromosomes of three strains of D. willistoni . We also analyzed the structural characteristics and number of copies of these hAT elements in the 10 currently available sequenced genomes of the willistoni group. We found that hobo, BuT2, and mar were widely distributed in D. willistoni polytene chromosomes and sequenced genomes of the willistoni group, except for mar , which is restricted to the subgroup willistoni. Furthermore, the elements hobo, BuT2 , and mar have different evolutionary histories. The transposon differences among D. willistoni strains, such as variation in the number, structure, and chromosomal distribution of hAT transposons, could reflect the genomic and chromosomal plasticity of D. willistoni species in adapting to highly variable environments.

Cellular Immunity of Drosophila willistoni Reveals Novel Complexity in Insect Anti-Parasitoid Defense

“…These two species show different abilities to encapsulate the same parasitoid, L. victoriae, which suggests that the co-evolution of parasites and hosts in different geographical regions evolved differently. The native range of D. ananassae is South and Southeast Asia and the Indo and South Pacific [26], while D. willistoni geographically originates from South America [27]. The parasitization assays also highlighted a more effective immune defense in D. willistoni than in D. melanogaster against both L. heterotoma and L. victoriae (Figure 1B).…”

Horizontal transfer and the widespread presence of Galileo transposons in Drosophilidae (Insecta: Diptera)

“…Such environments also impact genomes, as expanding into new areas may relieve the epigenetic silencing or control of TEs, leading to their mobilization and amplification ( Gregory, 2001 ; Rebollo et al, 2010 ; Antoniolli et al, 2023 ). For instance, D. willistoni - which harbors an exceptional diversity of Galileo ( Gonçalves et al, 2014 ) - is distributed throughout the Neotropical region, and TEs differentially populate its genomes ( Bertocchi et al., 2022 ).…”

Análise Genômica Das Bactérias Resistentes Mais Recorrentes Relacionadas a Pneumonia Adquirida Em Hospitais

“…Finalmente, a transferência por transposição envolve segmentos móveis de DNA, chamados transposons, que utilizam a conjugação como veículo para sua incorporação nos genomas, podendo ser incorporados tanto em plasmídeos quanto em cromossomos bacterianos (Bertocchi et al, 2022). Posteriormente, esses elementos podem ser transmitidos entre diferentes bactérias, contribuindo para a propagação de informações genéticas, incluindo genes de resistência a antibióticos, entre ambientes bacterianos (Haudiquet et al, 2022).…”