Transposable Elements in Setaria Genomes

Abstract

Large fractions of millet genomes are saturated with repetitive elements in which the major portion of repeats are contributed by transposable elements (TEs) which are also known as selfish genetic elements. These elements are capable of mobilizing in the genome from one position to another through transposition or retro-transposition with the help of certain specific enzymes coded by these TEs themselves. Recent advances in genome sequencing and assembly techniques provide an opportunity to enlighten our views on the current understanding of millet TE diversity and evolution in the genome. Transposable elements (TEs) represent approximately 40% of assembled millet genomes, and deeply branching lineages such as rice, maize, and other grass genomes exhibit a higher TE diversity in comparison to other plant taxa. With the advancement of sequencing techniques and availability of assembled genomes, long-read sequencing should soon provide access to TE-rich genomic regions of TE and their architecture in the genome. Furthermore, the current bottleneck in genome analyses and annotation of TEs could also be resolved to avoid misleading conclusions on repeat architecture and their involvement in genome evolution.