Novel Introner-Like Elements in fungi Are Involved in Parallel Gains of Spliceosomal Introns.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Novel Introner-Like Elements in fungi Are Involved in Parallel Gains of Spliceosomal Introns.
Authors: Jérôme Collemare, Henriek G Beenen, Pedro W Crous, Pierre J G M de Wit, Ate van der Burgt
Source: PLoS ONE, Vol 10, Iss 6, p e0129302 (2015)
Publisher Information: Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2015.
Publication Year: 2015
Collection: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Subject Terms: Medicine, Science
More Details: Spliceosomal introns are key components of the eukaryotic gene structure. Although they contributed to the emergence of eukaryotes, their origin remains elusive. In fungi, they might originate from the multiplication of invasive introns named Introner-Like Elements (ILEs). However, so far ILEs have been observed in six fungal species only, including Fulvia fulva and Dothistroma septosporum (Dothideomycetes), arguing against ILE insertion as a general mechanism for intron gain. Here, we identified novel ILEs in eight additional fungal species that are phylogenetically related to F. fulva and D. septosporum using PCR amplification with primers derived from previously identified ILEs. The ILE content appeared unique to each species, suggesting independent multiplication events. Interestingly, we identified four genes each containing two gained ILEs. By analysing intron positions in orthologues of these four genes in Ascomycota, we found that three ILEs had inserted within a 15 bp window that contains regular spliceosomal introns in other fungal species. These three positions are not the result of intron sliding because ILEs are newly gained introns. Furthermore, the alternative hypothesis of an inferred ancestral gain followed by independent losses contradicts the observed degeneration of ILEs. These observations clearly indicate three parallel intron gains in four genes that were randomly identified. Our findings suggest that parallel intron gain is a phenomenon that has been highly underestimated in ILE-containing fungi, and likely in the whole fungal kingdom.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1932-6203
Relation: http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4457414?pdf=render; https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129302
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/28e6ba94a1324d6b9cba460ab76c21de
Accession Number: edsdoj.28e6ba94a1324d6b9cba460ab76c21de
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:19326203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0129302
Published in:PLoS ONE
Language:English