Publications by authors named "I R Arkhipova"
Coevolutionary antagonism generates relentless selection that can favour genetic exchange, including transfer of antibiotic synthesis and resistance genes among bacteria, and sexual recombination of disease resistance alleles in eukaryotes. We report an unusual link between biological conflict and DNA transfer in bdelloid rotifers, microscopic animals whose genomes show elevated levels of horizontal gene transfer from non-metazoan taxa. When rotifers were challenged with a fungal pathogen, horizontally acquired genes were over twice as likely to be upregulated as other genes - a stronger enrichment than observed for abiotic stressors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEukaryotic retroelements are generally divided into two classes: long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons and non-LTR retrotransposons. A third class of eukaryotic retroelement, the Penelope-like elements (PLEs), has been well-characterized bioinformatically, but relatively little is known about the transposition mechanism of these elements. PLEs share some features with the R2 retrotransposon from Bombyx mori, which uses a target-primed reverse transcription (TPRT) mechanism, but their distinct phylogeny suggests PLEs may utilize a novel mechanism of mobilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo Be Mobile or Not: The Variety of Reverse Transcriptases and Their Recruitment by Host Genomes.
Biochemistry (Mosc)
November 2023
Article Synopsis
- Reverse transcriptases (RTs) are enzymes that challenge the traditional flow of genetic information, transforming RNA back into DNA, which was first observed in retroviruses.
- Found across all forms of life, RTs play a crucial role in the replication of retroviruses and are often derived from retrotransposons that move within genomes.
- Increasing evidence suggests that domesticated RTs contribute significantly to cellular functions, implying that aspects of chromosome maintenance and other critical processes may stem from these initially self-serving genetic elements.
Article Synopsis
- The conference on "Transposable Elements at the Crossroads of Evolution, Health and Disease" took place in Whistler, Canada, from September 3-6, 2023, organized by experts Kathleen Burns, Harmit Malik, and Irina Arkhipova.
- It focused on the diverse interactions of transposable elements (TEs) with host organisms, exploring their potential to disrupt genes and promote evolutionary changes through novel gene products and functions.
- The event featured six plenary sessions, two workshops, 50 talks, and poster sessions, covering both normal and pathological roles of TEs, as well as strategies to manage their activity through various scientific approaches.