MuTAnT: a family of Mutator-like transposable elements targeting TA microsatellites in Medicago truncatula

摘要: Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA segments, abundant and dynamic in plant genomes. Because their mobility can be potentially deleterious to the host, a variety of mechanisms evolved limiting that negative impact, one them being preference for specific target insertion site. Here, we describe family Mutator-like transposons Medicago truncatula targeting TA microsatellites. We identified 218 copies MuTAnTs an element carrying complete ORF encoding mudrA-like transposase. Most sites flanked by variable number tandem repeats, indicating specifically Other TE families repeats (e.g. TAFT maize) were described previously, however first putative autonomous sharing characteristics with related group short non-autonomous transposons.