The Ty1-copia group of retrotransposons in plants: genomic organisation, evolution, and use as molecular markers

• Published in: Genetica 1997-01, Vol.100 (1-3), p.205-217
• Main Authors: Kumar, A. (Scottish Crop Research Inst., Invergowrie, Dundee (United Kingdom)), Pearce, S.R, McLean, K, Harrison, G, Heslop-Harrison, J.S, Waugh, R, Flavell, A.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALLIUM CEPA; Beans; Biodiversity; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes; copy number; Crops; Data processing; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Gene mapping; GENE TRANSPOSITION; Genes; Genetic Heterogeneity; GENETIC MARKERS; GENOMAS; GENOME; Genome, Plant; GENOMES; genomics; Heterochromatin; Heterogeneity; HORDEUM VULGARE; MARCADORES GENETICOS; MARQUEUR GENETIQUE; Metaphase; NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE; Plants - genetics; Prophase; Retroelements - genetics; Retrotransposons; REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION; RNA-directed DNA polymerase; SECALE CEREALE; SECUENCIA NUCLEOTIDICA; SEQUENCE NUCLEOTIDIQUE; SOLANUM TUBEROSUM; TRANSCRIPCION INVERSA; TRANSCRIPTION INVERSE; TRANSPOSICION DE GENES; TRANSPOSITION DE GENES; Vicia; VICIA FABA; VICIA SATIVA
• ISSN: 0016-6707; 1573-6857
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1018393931948

The genomic organisation and diversity of the Ty1-copia group retrotransposons has been investigated in several crop plants and their relatives from both dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous families, including potato (Solanum tuberosum), faba beans (Vicia faba), Vicia melanops, Vicia sativa, barley (Hordeum vulgare), rye (Secale cereale), and onion (Allium cepa). Extreme heterogeneity in the sequence of the Ty1-copia retrotransposons from all these plants was revealed following sequence analysis of reverse transcriptase fragments. The estimated copy numbers of the Ty1-copia group retrotransposons for the genomes of S. tuberosum, L. esculentum, A. cepa, S. cereale, and V. faba is highly variable, ranging from a few hundred to approximately a million copies per genome. In situ hybridisation data from metaphase and prophase chromosomes of V. faba, S. cereale, and H. vulgare suggest that retrotransposon sequences are dispersed throughout the euchromatic regions of the genome but are almost undetectable in most heterochromatic regions. In contrast, similar data from metaphase chromosomes of A. cepa suggests that although retrotransposon sequences are dispersed throughout the euchromatic regions of the genome, they are predominantly concentrated in the terminal heterochromatin. These results are discussed in the context of the role played by the Ty1-copia group retrotransposons in the evolution of the plant genome. Lastly, the application of retrotransposon sequences as genetic markers for mapping genomes and for studying genetic biodiversity in plants is presented.