Chiropterans Are a Hotspot for Horizontal Transfer of DNA Transposons in Mammalia.

Molecular biology and evolution
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Horizontal transfer of transposable elements (TEs) is an important mechanism contributing to genetic diversity and innovation. Bats (order Chiroptera) have repeatedly been shown to experience horizontal transfer of TEs at what appears to be a high rate compared with other mammals. We investigated the occurrence of horizontally transferred (HT) DNA transposons involving bats. We found over 200 putative HT elements within bats; 16 transposons were shared across distantly related mammalian clades, and 2 other elements were shared with a fish and two lizard species. Our results indicate that bats are a hotspot for horizontal transfer of DNA transposons. These events broadly coincide with the diversification of several bat clades, supporting the hypothesis that DNA transposon invasions have contributed to genetic diversification of bats.

Year of Publication
2023
Journal
Molecular biology and evolution
Volume
40
Issue
5
Date Published
05/2023
ISSN
1537-1719
DOI
10.1093/molbev/msad092
PubMed ID
37071810
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