A Ty1-copia group retrotransposon sequence in a vertebrate.

We have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to isolate a sequence characteristic of a Ty1-copia group retrotransposon from the genome of the herring (Clupea harengus). This is the first Ty1-copia group retrotransposon sequence described in a vertebrate. Phylogenetic comparison of this sequence with other members of this group of retrotransposons shows that it resembles more closely some Ty1-copia group members from Drosophila melanogaster than other group members in plants and fungi. These observations provide further evidence that the Ty1-copia group LTR retrotransposons span many of the major eukaryote species boundaries, suggesting that horizontal transmission between different species has played a role in the evolution of this retrotransposon group.