Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons
Abstract Specialized transposable elements capable of generating introns, termed introners, are one of the major drivers of intron gain in eukaryotes. Horizontal transfer of transposable elements (HTT) is thought to play an important role in shaping introner distributions. Viruses could function as...
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BMC
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Mobile DNA |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-025-00363-y |
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| author | Landen Gozashti Russell Corbett-Detig |
| author_facet | Landen Gozashti Russell Corbett-Detig |
| author_sort | Landen Gozashti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Specialized transposable elements capable of generating introns, termed introners, are one of the major drivers of intron gain in eukaryotes. Horizontal transfer of transposable elements (HTT) is thought to play an important role in shaping introner distributions. Viruses could function as vehicles of introner HTT since they often integrate into host genomes and have been implicated in widespread HTT in eukaryotes. We annotated integrated viral elements in diverse dinoflagellate genomes with active introners and queried viral elements for introner sequences. We find that 25% of viral elements contain introners. The vast majority of viral elements represent maverick-polinton-like double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses in the family eupolintoviridae as well as giant dsDNA viruses. By querying a previously annotated set of eupolintoviral proviruses, we show that introners populate full-length elements with machinery required for transposition as well as viral infection. Introners in the vast majority of viral elements are younger than or similar in age to others in their host genome, suggesting that most viral elements acquired introners after integration. However, a subset of viral elements shows the opposite pattern wherein viral introners are significantly older than other introners, possibly consistent with virus-to-host horizontal transfer. Together, our results suggest that dsDNA viruses may serve as vectors for HTT of introners between individuals and species, resulting in the introduction of intron-generating transposons to new lineages. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eafcf4bd7a6842049a2b898cb6482999 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1759-8753 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Mobile DNA |
| spelling | doaj-art-eafcf4bd7a6842049a2b898cb64829992025-08-20T03:45:11ZengBMCMobile DNA1759-87532025-06-011611710.1186/s13100-025-00363-yDouble-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposonsLanden Gozashti0Russell Corbett-Detig1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityDepartment of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa CruzAbstract Specialized transposable elements capable of generating introns, termed introners, are one of the major drivers of intron gain in eukaryotes. Horizontal transfer of transposable elements (HTT) is thought to play an important role in shaping introner distributions. Viruses could function as vehicles of introner HTT since they often integrate into host genomes and have been implicated in widespread HTT in eukaryotes. We annotated integrated viral elements in diverse dinoflagellate genomes with active introners and queried viral elements for introner sequences. We find that 25% of viral elements contain introners. The vast majority of viral elements represent maverick-polinton-like double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses in the family eupolintoviridae as well as giant dsDNA viruses. By querying a previously annotated set of eupolintoviral proviruses, we show that introners populate full-length elements with machinery required for transposition as well as viral infection. Introners in the vast majority of viral elements are younger than or similar in age to others in their host genome, suggesting that most viral elements acquired introners after integration. However, a subset of viral elements shows the opposite pattern wherein viral introners are significantly older than other introners, possibly consistent with virus-to-host horizontal transfer. Together, our results suggest that dsDNA viruses may serve as vectors for HTT of introners between individuals and species, resulting in the introduction of intron-generating transposons to new lineages.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-025-00363-yIntronerHorizontal gene transferHorizontal transfer of transposable elementsTransposable elements |
| spellingShingle | Landen Gozashti Russell Corbett-Detig Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons Mobile DNA Introner Horizontal gene transfer Horizontal transfer of transposable elements Transposable elements |
| title | Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons |
| title_full | Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons |
| title_fullStr | Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons |
| title_full_unstemmed | Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons |
| title_short | Double-stranded DNA viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron-generating transposons |
| title_sort | double stranded dna viruses may serve as vectors for horizontal transfer of intron generating transposons |
| topic | Introner Horizontal gene transfer Horizontal transfer of transposable elements Transposable elements |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13100-025-00363-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT landengozashti doublestrandeddnavirusesmayserveasvectorsforhorizontaltransferofintrongeneratingtransposons AT russellcorbettdetig doublestrandeddnavirusesmayserveasvectorsforhorizontaltransferofintrongeneratingtransposons |