Suggested Absence of Horizontal Transfer of Retrotransposons between Humans and Domestic Mammal Species.

ABSTRACT: Transposable element sequences are usually vertically inherited but have also spread across taxa via horizontal transfer. Previous investigations of ancient horizontal transfer of transposons have compared consensus sequences, but this method resists detection of recent single or low copy number transfer events. The relationship between humans and domesticated animals represents an opportunity for potential horizontal transfer due to the consistent shared proximity and exposure to parasitic insects, which have been identified as plausible transfer vectors. The relatively short period of extended human-animal contact (tens of thousands of years or less) makes horizontal transfer of transposons between them unlikely. However, the availability of high-quality reference genomes allows individu

SUBMITTER: Wanner NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8391136 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature