Cryptons: a group of tyrosine-recombinase-encoding DNA transposons from pathogenic fungi

• DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.26529-0
• Publication Date: 2003-11-05T13:32:46Z
• Authors: Timothy J. D. Goo...; Margaret I. Butler; Russell T. M. Pou...
• Keywords: Retrotransposon

A new group of transposable elements, which the authors have named cryptons, was detected in several pathogenic fungi, including basidiomycete Cryptococcus neoformans , and ascomycetes Coccidioides posadasii Histoplasma capsulatum . These elements are unlike any previously described transposons. An archetypal member group, crypton Cn1 is 4 kb length present at a low but variable copy number variety C. strains. It displays interstrain variations its insertion sites, suggesting recent mobility. The internal region contains long gene, interrupted by introns. product this gene putative tyrosine recombinase near middle, similar sequence to DNA-binding domains fungal transcription factors C-terminus. element no repeat sequences, bordered short direct repeats may been produced into host genome recombination. Many structural features conserved other known that these represent functional forms. presence cryptons basidiomycetes suggests an ancient (>400 million years old). Sequence comparisons suggest be related DIRS1 Ngaro1 groups tyrosine-recombinase-encoding retrotransposons.