Interplays and evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements and host proteins

forthcoming

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements capable of self-replication and integration into new genomic locations, influencing the evolution of genome architecture and function. While their core mobilization machinery is highly conserved across eukaryotes, TEs also exhibit extraordinary potentials to encode a diversity of auxiliary proteins and protein domains, which contribute to complex interactions with host-encoded factors. Yet, the extent to which these interactions shape TE diversification and propagation remains poorly understood. In HosTEome we aim to determine the mechanistic and evolutionary interplay between TE-encoded and so called “host” proteins. Building on our recent discovery of dozens of active TEs in the model organism Arabidopsis, we will systematically map TE-host protein-protein interactions across diverse TE families and assess the role of these interactions in regulating the transposition rate, developmental timing of germline mobilization, and integration site preferences. In parallel, we will leverage the wealth of high-quality genome assemblies across eukaryotes to explore the diversity of TE-encoded proteins across lineages and assess their evolutionary origins, fates, and contributions to TE proliferation within and between species. Furthermore, using phylogenomic analyses, we will identify signatures of TE-host protein-protein molecular coadaptation, which we will experimentally validate by resurrecting ancestral and derived TE-host pairs to test their functional interplay over evolutionary timescales. Together, this proposal will illuminate the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary forces shaping the evolution and diversification of TEs and the organisms that harbor them, offering transformative insights into how self-replicative systems emerge, diversify, and fuel cellular innovations.