Recurrent evolution of heat-responsiveness in Brassicaceae COPIA elements. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pietzenuk, Björn; Markus, Catarine; Gaubert, Hervé; Bagwan, Navratan; Merotto, Aldo; Bucher, Etienne; Pecinka, Ales
• Is Part Of: Genome biology. Volume 17:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Brassicaceae -- COPIA -- Evolution -- Heat stress -- ONSEN; Genomes -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; 572.8633
• DOI: 10.1186/s13059-016-1072-3
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1474-760X

Abstract

Abstract Background The mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) is suppressed by host genome defense mechanisms. Recent studies showed that the cis-regulatory region of Arabidopsis thalianaCOPIA78 /ONSEN retrotransposons contains heat-responsive elements (HREs), which cause their activation during heat stress. However, it remains unknown whether this is a common and potentially conserved trait and how it has evolved. Results We show thatONSEN, COPIA37, TERESTRA, andROMANIAT5 are the major families of heat-responsive TEs inA. lyrata andA. thaliana . Heat-responsiveness ofCOPIA families is correlated with the presence of putative high affinity heat shock factor binding HREs within their long terminal repeats in sevenBrassicaceae species. The strong HRE ofONSEN is conserved over millions of years and has evolved by duplication of a proto-HRE sequence, which was already present early in the evolution of theBrassicaceae . However, HREs of most families are species-specific, and inBoechera stricta, theONSEN HRE accumulated mutations and lost heat-responsiveness. Conclusions Gain of HREs does not always provide an ultimate selective advantage for TEs, but may increase the probability of their long-term survival during the co-evolution of hosts and genomic parasites.