Comparative Genomics Of Transposable Elements In The Grasses

Transposable elements (TE’s) are the most abundant genetic loci found in eukaryotic genomes and often occupy more than 70% of the genome landscape. These genetic elements were first described in maize (Zea mays) and have been found in all eukaryotic genomes investigated. The grass family (Poaceae), has long been used as a model system to study transposable elements. Transposable element content has been analyzed in many grass species including, Maize, Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), Rice (Oryza sativa), and many others. This project aims to explore and characterize the repetitive elements in six grass genomes that are closely related within the grass tribe Andropogoneae, with the ultimate goal of better understanding the mechanisms that have driven the diversification of this important grass clade. Bioinformatic software Galaxy was used to identify and characterize the abundance of TE’s in six grass species that have not been investigated to date. The presence/absences of specific TE’s were then mapped onto a phylogeny of the Andropogoneae to better understand the dynamics of TE evolution. An improved understanding of repetitive elements across the grass phylogeny may uncover the mechanism behind the explosive evolutionary radiation of the grasses.