RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Transposon Extermination Reveals Their Adaptive Fitness Contribution
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.11.29.470382
DO 10.1101/2021.11.29.470382
A1 Cranz-Mileva, Susanne
A1 Reilly, Eve
A1 Chalhoub, Noor
A1 Patel, Rohan
A1 Atanassova, Tania
A1 Cao, Weihuan
A1 Ellison, Christopher
A1 Zaratiegui, Mikel
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/11/30/2021.11.29.470382.abstract
AB Transposable Elements are molecular parasites that persist in their host genome by generating new copies to outpace natural selection. Here we measure the parameters governing the copy number dynamics of the fission yeast Tf2 retrotransposons, using experimental and natural populations and a strain where all Tf2 copies are removed. Natural population genomes display active and persistent Tf2 colonies, but in the absence of selection mitotic recombination deletes Tf2 elements at rates that far exceed transposition. We show that Tf2 elements provide a fitness contribution to their host by dynamically rewiring the transcriptional response to metabolic stress. Therefore, Tf2 elements exhibit a mutualistic rather than parasitic behavior toward their host.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.