在这里，该研究组鉴定了几个独立进化的端粒转座子家族的线性染色体和蓝藻和链霉菌的质粒。虽然这些元件有一个特定的转座子末端序列，第二个边界是端粒，但课题组人员可以证明它们移动两个转座子末端，可能是在端粒维护系统短暂桥接时。该元件和相关端粒的动员允许替换原生端粒，使宿主细胞依赖于新的转座子端粒系统来维持基因组。这项工作表明端粒转座子如何促进基因组之间和基因组内的基因转移，显著影响线性基因组的进化动力学。
据悉，真核生物具有线性DNA，它们的端粒是转座子的热点，在某些情况下，转座子接管了端粒的维护。
附：英文原文
Title: Telomeric transposons are pervasive in linear bacterial genomes
Author: Shan-Chi Hsieh, Máté Fülp, Richard Schargel, Michael T. Petassi, Orsolya Barabas, Joseph E. Peters
Issue&Volume: 2025-03-06
Abstract: Eukaryotes have linear DNA and their telomeres are hotspots for transposons, which in some cases took over telomere maintenance. Here we identify several families of independently evolved telomeric transposons in linear chromosomes and plasmids of cyanobacteria and Streptomyces. While these elements have one specific transposon end sequence, with the second boundary being the telomere, we can show that they move using two transposon ends, likely when transiently bridged by the telomere maintenance systems. Mobilization of the element and the associated telomere allows replacement of native telomeres, making the host cell dependent on the new transposon telomere system for genome maintenance. This work indicates how telomeric transposons can promote gene transfer both between and within genomes, significantly influencing the evolutionary dynamics of linear genomes.
DOI: adp1973
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1973