The role of non-allelic gene conversion in the evolution of Transposable Elements

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06761
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45010:Genetics-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: FAWCETT JEFFREY 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 数理創造プログラム, 上級研究員 (50727394)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 印南 秀樹 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 教授 (90444140)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Transposable Elements

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Transposable Elements are thought to be key drivers of evolution and have most likely contributed to various evolutionary processes such as the rewiring of regulatory networks. We previously argued that understanding the evolution of TEs themselves, including the role of non-allelic gene conversion and selection amongst TEs is crucial for unravelling the role of TEs in evolution. One of the major achievement has been our results on the contribution of TEs to centromere evolution, a process in which rapid TE evolution via non-allelic gene conversion is thought to be involved, in buckwheat species. We found that the species specific activity of a particular LTR retrotransposon family of the CRM clade is associated with neocentromeres, suggesting its role in speciation via centromere turnover.

Free Research Field

Genome Evolution

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

How Transposable Elements contribute to evolution is a central question in evolutionary biology. Here, we have provided a novel example showing that the rapid amplification and evolution of TEs is associated with the turnover of centromeres and most probably speciation.