Molecular evolutionary analyses of mariners and other transposable elements in fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Screens of a library of genomic DNA made during a recent study of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta revealed the presence of three distinct types of transposable elements (TEs). Two of the recovered sequences showed a high similarity to long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, while the third showed a high homology to mariner elements. To investigate the distribution and relationships of mariners in related ants, we PCR-amplified these elements from additional Solenopsis species. Phylogenetic analyses showed that they form a single group within the mauritiana subfamily that is part of a larger clade derived from hymenopteran species. We also present partial sequence data for the two LTR-retrotransposons and describe their phylogenetic affinities.