ABSTRACT
Information about the distribution and insertion numbers of many transposable elements is restricted to few species of Drosophila, although these elements are widely distributed throughout the genus. The aim of this work was to describe the distribution and insertion numbers of four retrotransposons (copia, gypsy, micropia, I) and four transposons (hobo, mariner, Minos and Bari-1) in the saltans group of Drosophila. Our data shows that, except for mariner, all the other elements are widespread within the saltans group and show variable insertion numbers of up to 24 copies.
Subject(s)
Animals , DNA Transposable Elements , Drosophila/genetics , In Situ Hybridization , Polymerase Chain Reaction , RetroelementsABSTRACT
Up to now, investigations of expression and regulation of P transposable element have been almost exclusively carried out with the Drosophila melanogaster canonical P element. Analyzing eight species of the saltans group, we detected transposase mRNA in germline tissues of D. saltans and D. prosaltans and repressor mRNA in somatic tissues of D. saltans and D. sturtevanti. Sequencing analysis suggested that these transcripts might belong to the canonical subfamily and that they can be transpositionally active only in D. saltans. d(N) and d(S) values of Adh and the P element suggested that the sequences found in D. saltans and D. prosaltans might have been present in the ancestor of the saltans subgroup and that the sequence found in D. sturtevanti might have been horizontally transferred from D. saltans.
