Unusual horizontal transfer of a long interspersed nuclear element between distant vertebrate classes

Dusan Kordis; Franc Gubensek

Edited by Margaret G. Kidwell, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, and approved July 14, 1998 (received for review March 6, 1998)

Abstract

We have shown previously by Southern blot analysis that Bov-B long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) are present in different Viperidae snake species. To address the question as to whether Bov-B LINEs really have been transmitted horizontally between vertebrate classes, the analysis has been extended to a larger number of vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species. In this paper, the evolutionary origin of Bov-B LINEs is shown unequivocally to be in Squamata. The previously proposed horizontal transfer of Bov-B LINEs in vertebrates has been confirmed by their discontinuous phylogenetic distribution in Squamata (Serpentes and two lizard infra-orders) as well as in Ruminantia, by the high level of nucleotide identity, and by their phylogenetic relationships. The horizontal transfer of Bov-B LINEs from Squamata to the ancestor of Ruminantia is evident from the genetic distances and discontinuous phylogenetic distribution. The ancestor of Colubroidea snakes is a possible donor of Bov-B LINEs to Ruminantia. The timing of horizontal transfer has been estimated from the distribution of Bov-B LINEs in Ruminantia and the fossil data of Ruminantia to be 40–50 My ago. The phylogenetic relationships of Bov-B LINEs from the various Squamata species agrees with that of the species phylogeny, suggesting that Bov-B LINEs have been maintained stably by vertical transmission since the origin of Squamata in the Mesozoic era.

Footnotes

↵† To whom reprint requests should be addressed. e-mail: dusan.kordis{at}ijs.si.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the Proceedings Office.
Data deposition: The sequences reported in this paper have been deposited in the GenBank database (accession nos. AF012992–AF013024 and AF048708–AF048711).