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Nested retrotransposons on the W chromosome of the wild silkworm Bombyx mandarina
Author(s) -
Abe H.,
Sugasaki T.,
Terada T.,
Kanehara M.,
Ohbayashi F.,
Shimada T.,
Kawai S.,
Mita K.,
Oshiki T.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2002.00339.x
Subject(s) - retrotransposon , biology , genetics , rapd , transposable element , bombyx , autosome , chromosome , bombyx mori , genome , gene , genetic diversity , population , demography , sociology
The W chromosome of the silkworms Bombyx mori or B. mandarina is recombinationally isolated from the Z chromosome and the autosomes. We previously characterized a female‐specific randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), designated W‐Yamato, derived from the W chromosome of the wild silkworm Bombyx mandarina . To further analyse the W chromosome of B. mandarina , we obtained a lambda phage clone that contains the W‐Yamato RAPD sequence and sequenced the 16.7 kb DNA insert. We found that this DNA comprises a nested structure of at least seven elements: six retrotransposons and one transposable element‐like sequence. The transposable element‐like sequence is inserted into a micropia ‐like retrotransposon ( Karate ). The Karate and the non‐long terminal repeat (non‐LTR) retrotransposon BMC1 are inserted into a 412 ‐like retrotransposon ( Judo ). Furthermore, this Judo , and two non‐LTR retrotransposons ( Kurosawa and Kendo ) are inserted into a Pao ‐like retrotransposon ( Yamato ). These results indicate that the retrotransposons inserted into the W chromosome are not efficiently removed but accumulate gradually as strata without recombination.