Spatiotemporal transcription of the P element and the 412 retrotransposon during embryogenesis of Drosophila melanogasterand D. Willistoni

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile nucleotide sequences which, through changing position in host genomes, partake in important evolutionary processes. The expression patterns of two TEs, Pelement transposon and 412 retrotransposon, were investigated during Drosophila melanogasterand D. willistoniembryogenesis, by means of embryo hybridization using riboprobes. Spatiotemporal transcription patterns for both TEs were similar to those of developmental genes. Although the two species shared the same Pelement transcription pattern, this was not so with412retrotransposon. These findings suggest that the regulatory sequences involved in the initial development of Drosophila sppare located in the transposable element sequences, and differences, such as in this case of the412 retrotransposon, lead to losses or changes in their transcription patterns. © 2011, Sociedade Brasileira de Genética.