The Tc1/mariner DNA transposons in the genome of mollusk Littorina saxatilis

Abstract

The Tc1/mariner superfamily is one of the most widely distributed among the DNA transposons in both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. We studied the abundance of the Tc1/mariner elements in the genome of the gastropod Littorina saxatilis Olivi, 1792 (Gastropoda: Littorinimorpha). For this purpose, nucleotide sequences with a total length of 358877 bp were analyzed. Six sequences were found to be similar to the Tc1/mariner DNA transposons. These sequences were studied for structure, the presence of functional transposase, and the systematic position within the superfamily. In addition, the loci with high homology to the DNA transposons of the hAT, Sola, Ginger, EnSpm/CACTA, ISL2EU, Kolobok, Novosib, Zisupton, and Helitron superfamilies were identified.