Complete fusion of a transposon and herpesvirus created the Teratorn mobile element in medaka fish

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00527-2
• Publication Date: 2017-09-11T13:12:06Z
• Authors: Yusuke Inoue; Tomonori Saga; Takumi Aikawa; Masahiko Kumagai; Atsuko Shimada; Yasushi Kawaguchi; Kiyoshi Naruse; Shinichi Morishita; Akihiko Koga; Hiroyuki Takeda
• Keywords: Oryzias

Mobile genetic elements (e.g., transposable and viruses) display significant diversity with various life cycles, but how novel emerge remains obscure. Here, we report a giant (180-kb long) transposon, Teratorn, originally identified in the genome of medaka, Oryzias latipes. Teratorn belongs to piggyBac superfamily retains transposition activity. Remarkably, is largely derived from herpesvirus Alloherpesviridae family that could infect fish amphibians. Genomic survey Teratorn-like reveals some them exist as fused form between transposon teleosts, implying generality transposon-herpesvirus fusion. We propose was created by unique fusion DNA herpesvirus, leading cycle shift. Our study supports idea recombination key event generation mobile elements. large element small teleost medaka. authors show an alloherpesvirus it widely found across fish.