Transposable Elements as a Source of Novel Repetitive DNA in the Eukaryote Genome

Abstract

The impact of transposable elements (TEs) on the evolution of the eukaryote genome has been observed in a number of biological processes, such as the recruitment of the host’s gene expression network or the rearrangement of genome structure. However, TEs may also provide a substrate for the emergence of novel repetitive elements, which contribute to the generation of new genomic components during the course of the evolutionary process. In this review, we examine published descriptions of TEs that give rise to tandem sequences in an attempt to comprehend the relationship between TEs and the emergence of de novo satellite DNA families in eukaryotic organisms. We evaluated the intragenomic behavior of the TEs, the role of their molecular structure, and the chromosomal distribution of the paralogous copies that generate arrays of repeats as a substrate for the emergence of new repetitive elements in the genome. We highlight the involvement and importance of TEs in the eukaryote genome and its remodeling processes.

Satellite DNAs—From Localized to Highly Dispersed Genome Components

“…An increasing number of reports show that satDNAs and TEs are tightly connected in many different ways, and TEs, in general, were proposed to facilitate the dispersal of satDNA repeats (reviewed in [ 17 , 20 , 52 , 53 ]). Tandemization of TEs or their parts can be accomplished through different mechanisms, resulting in arrays of repeats characteristic for a satDNA [ 54 ].…”

“…The other class is made up of interspersed repeats formed as a result of transposition processes, introducing transposable elements (TEs) into new locations, changing, in this process, genome structure, adaptability and evolution [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Both satDNAs and TEs are considered crucial builders of every eukaryotic genome and drivers of evolution [ 1 , 2 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Transposon-derived transcription factors across metazoans

“…Within this framework, Cosby et al ( Cosby et al, 2021 ) not only described the tendency of class II TE for being domesticated as TFs in mammals but also study mechanisms and proposed a model for this process, taking into count the binding sites of transposases. There are ten superfamilies of Class II TEs that are known to use the “ cut-and-paste ” mechanism for transposition from one position in the genome to another ( Feschotte and Pritham, 2007 ; Zattera and Bruschi, 2022 ). Representatives of each of these subfamilies TE encoded full-length TF proteins were used as a query to screen for potentially TE-derived TFs across nine metazoan phyla ( Figure 1 ; Supplementary Table S1 ).…”

Transposon-derived transcription factors across metazoans

“…1) . There are ten super-families of Class II TEs, and are known to use the ‘ cut-and-paste ’ mechanism for transposition from one position in the genome to another 6,40 . Representatives of each of these subfamilies of proteins were used as a query to screen for TE-derived TFs across nine metazoan phyla ( Fig.…”