---
pmid: '26104693'
title: Tyrosine Recombinase Retrotransposons and Transposons.
authors:
- Poulter RTM
- Butler MI
journal: Microbiol Spectr
year: '2015'
full_text_available: false
doi: 10.1128/microbiolspec.MDNA3-0036-2014
pubmed_publication_types:
- Journal Article
- Review
publication_type: REVIEW
---

# Tyrosine Recombinase Retrotransposons and Transposons.
**Authors:** Poulter RTM, Butler MI
**Journal:** Microbiol Spectr (2015)
**DOI:** [10.1128/microbiolspec.MDNA3-0036-2014](https://doi.org/10.1128/microbiolspec.MDNA3-0036-2014)

## Abstract

1. Microbiol Spectr. 2015 Apr;3(2):MDNA3-0036-2014. doi:
10.1128/microbiolspec.MDNA3-0036-2014.

Tyrosine Recombinase Retrotransposons and Transposons.

Poulter RTM(1), Butler MI(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.

Retrotransposons carrying tyrosine recombinases (YR) are widespread in
eukaryotes. The first described tyrosine recombinase mobile element, DIRS1, is a
retroelement from the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. The YR elements are
bordered by terminal repeats related to their replication via free circular
dsDNA intermediates. Site-specific recombination is believed to integrate the
circle without creating duplications of the target sites. Recently a large
number of YR retrotransposons have been described, including elements from fungi
(mucorales and basidiomycetes), plants (green algae) and a wide range of animals
including nematodes, insects, sea urchins, fish, amphibia and reptiles. YR
retrotransposons can be divided into three major groups: the DIRS elements,
PAT-like and the Ngaro elements. The three groups form distinct clades on
phylogenetic trees based on alignments of reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H
(RT/RH) and YR sequences, and also having some structural distinctions. A group
of eukaryote DNA transposons, cryptons, also carry tyrosine recombinases. These
DNA transposons do not encode a reverse transcriptase. They have been detected
in several pathogenic fungi and oomycetes. Sequence comparisons suggest that the
crypton YRs are related to those of the YR retrotransposons. We suggest that the
YR retrotransposons arose from the combination of a crypton-like YR DNA
transposon and the RT/RH encoding sequence of a retrotransposon. This
acquisition must have occurred at a very early point in the evolution of
eukaryotes.

DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.MDNA3-0036-2014
PMID: 26104693 [Indexed for MEDLINE]