A transposon-like element in human DNA

Abstract

Mobile genetic elements have been reported in prokaryotes, plants, yeast and Drosophila. The only transposon-like sequences reported for mammalian organisms are closely related to retroviruses, although undoubtedly other transposon families exist within the mammalian genome. Although mobile genetic elements can only be identified as such if their mobility can be demonstrated in existing populations, transposon and transposon-like elements share several common biochemical and structural features. Here we demonstrate that a repetitive human sequence has many of the diagnostic features of transposable elements. This 2.3-kilobase (kb) transposon-like element contains two flanking long terminal repeat (LTR)-like 350-base pair (bp) repetitive sequences, each of which begins with the sequence 5' TG... and ends with ...CA 3'. The transposon-like element is bounded by 5-bp direct repeats. Discrete-length polyadenylated transcripts from HeLa cells are homologous to the transposon-like element. Members of this transposon-like family are found in extrachromosomal circular DNA molecules.

Genomic Structure of the Mouse Ap3b1 Gene in Normal and Pearl Mice

“…Mouse transposons are a subgroup of a superfamily of MaLRs (Smit, 1993), which resemble the internal sequences of the human transposon-like element (Paulson et al, 1985). The 215-bp partial MT sequence (Fig.…”

Mutation and psychosis: a suggested explanation of seasonality of birth

“…A number of classes of such elements, including the endogenous retroviruses (Varmus, 1982), have been identified; some are present in the human genome (Mager & Henthorn, 1984;Paulson et al 1985;Musich & Dykes, 1986). Such an element might play a part in the aetiology of psychosis (Crow, 1984(Crow, , 1986a.…”

Isolation and characterization of a DNA fragment containing various kinds of repetitive sequences located on human chromosome 21

“…In addition to these SINES and LINES, retrovirus-like repetitive sequences have been identified. The O-family sequence is one such repetitive sequence and is considered to be a solitary LTR (long terminal repeat) (Sun et al, 1984;Paulson et al, 1985).…”