DNA transposon activity is associated with increased mutation rates in genes of rice and other grasses

Thomas Wicker (), Yeisoo Yu, Georg Haberer, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Pradeep Reddy Marri, Steve Rounsley, Mingsheng Chen, Andrea Zuccolo, Olivier Panaud, Rod A. Wing and Stefan Roffler
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Thomas Wicker: University of Zurich
Yeisoo Yu: Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona
Georg Haberer: Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich
Klaus F. X. Mayer: Plant Genome and Systems Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich
Pradeep Reddy Marri: Dow AgroSciences
Steve Rounsley: Dow AgroSciences
Mingsheng Chen: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District
Andrea Zuccolo: Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna
Olivier Panaud: Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, UMR5096 UPVD/CNRS, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia
Rod A. Wing: Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona
Stefan Roffler: University of Zurich

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract DNA (class 2) transposons are mobile genetic elements which move within their ‘host’ genome through excising and re-inserting elsewhere. Although the rice genome contains tens of thousands of such elements, their actual role in evolution is still unclear. Analysing over 650 transposon polymorphisms in the rice species Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima, we find that DNA repair following transposon excisions is associated with an increased number of mutations in the sequences neighbouring the transposon. Indeed, the 3,000 bp flanking the excised transposons can contain over 10 times more mutations than the genome-wide average. Since DNA transposons preferably insert near genes, this is correlated with increases in mutation rates in coding sequences and regulatory regions. Most importantly, we find this phenomenon also in maize, wheat and barley. Thus, these findings suggest that DNA transposon activity is a major evolutionary force in grasses which provide the basis of most food consumed by humankind.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12790

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