Nuclear export signal (NES) of transposases affects the transposition activity of mariner-like elements and of moso bamboo.

and are two active -like elements (MLEs) cloned from moso bamboo ( (Carrière) J. Houz) genome possessing transposases that harbour nuclear export signal (NES) domain, but not any nuclear localization signal (NLS) domain. To understand the functions of NES in transposon activity, we have conducted two experiments, fluorescence and excision frequency assays in the yeast system.

Transposition of the bamboo Mariner-like element Ppmar1 in yeast.

The moso bamboo genome contains the two structurally intact and thus potentially functional mariner-like elements Ppmar1 and Ppmar2. Both elements contain perfect terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) and a full-length intact transposase gene. Here we investigated whether Ppmar1 is functional in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).

Identification, cross-taxon transferability and application of full-length cDNA SSR markers in Phyllostachys pubescens.

Current databases of Phyllostachys pubescens full-length cDNAs (FL-cDNAs) provide a rich source of sequences for the development of potential FL-cDNA simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We screened 10,608 P. pubescens cDNAs, discovering 1614 SSRs in 1382 SSR-containing FL-cDNAs.

Isolation and characterization of seventy-nine full-length mariner-like transposase genes in the Bambusoideae subfamily.

Mariner-like elements (MLEs) are the most diverse and widespread transposable elements, with members of the MLE superfamily found in fungi, plants, ciliates and animals. In a previous study, we characterized 82 MLE transposase gene fragments (average length 383 bp) in 44 bamboo species, indicating that MLEs are widespread, abundant and diverse in the Bambusoideae subfamily. In this study, we isolated 79 full-length MLE transposase genes from 63 bamboo species representing 38 genera in six subtribes mainly found in China.

Diversity and evolution of Ty1-copia retroelements in representative tribes of Bambusoideae subfamily.

Ty1-copia retroelements have been found in all major plants and are largely responsible for the huge differences in the genome size. In this study we isolated and sequenced Ty1-copia reverse transcriptase (rt) gene fragments from 44 representative species of bamboo and nine cultivars or forms of Phyllostachys pubescens. Phylogenetic analysis of 72 distinct Ty1-copia rt sequences showed that Ty1-copia retroelements were widespread, diverse and abundant in these species of Bambusoideae subfamily.