Squamate reptiles challenge paradigms of genomic repeat element evolution set by birds and mammals

Giulia I. M. Pasquesi, Richard H. Adams, Daren C. Card, Drew R. Schield, Andrew B. Corbin, Blair W. Perry, Jacobo Reyes-Velasco, Robert P. Ruggiero, Michael W. Vandewege, Jonathan A. Shortt and Todd A. Castoe ()
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Giulia I. M. Pasquesi: University of Texas at Arlington
Richard H. Adams: University of Texas at Arlington
Daren C. Card: University of Texas at Arlington
Drew R. Schield: University of Texas at Arlington
Andrew B. Corbin: University of Texas at Arlington
Blair W. Perry: University of Texas at Arlington
Jacobo Reyes-Velasco: University of Texas at Arlington
Robert P. Ruggiero: New York University Abu Dhabi
Michael W. Vandewege: Temple University
Jonathan A. Shortt: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Todd A. Castoe: University of Texas at Arlington

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Broad paradigms of vertebrate genomic repeat element evolution have been largely shaped by analyses of mammalian and avian genomes. Here, based on analyses of genomes sequenced from over 60 squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), we show that patterns of genomic repeat landscape evolution in squamates challenge such paradigms. Despite low variance in genome size, squamate genomes exhibit surprisingly high variation among species in abundance (ca. 25–73% of the genome) and composition of identifiable repeat elements. We also demonstrate that snake genomes have experienced microsatellite seeding by transposable elements at a scale unparalleled among eukaryotes, leading to some snake genomes containing the highest microsatellite content of any known eukaryote. Our analyses of transposable element evolution across squamates also suggest that lineage-specific variation in mechanisms of transposable element activity and silencing, rather than variation in species-specific demography, may play a dominant role in driving variation in repeat element landscapes across squamate phylogeny.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-05279-1

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05279-1

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