Where the wild things are: miniature Transposable Elements in the wheat genome

Wheat has been the subject of intensive research into polyploidization and genomic evolution due to multiple allopolyploidization events. Allopolyploydization generates a genomic stress on the newly formed species, causing the new allopolyploid to react in different genomic changes such as activation or deactivation of transposons. Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA elements that can change their location and proliferate within the host genome. Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are short length, non-autonomous DNA elements found only in eukaryotic genomes. Previous works in wheat have shown an association of MITEs with transcribed regions, alterations of methylations around MITE sequences in newly formed polyploids and transposition of MITEs in newly formed allopolyploids. However, the mechanism of MITEs activity and impact on gene expression remains not fully understood. In this research, we are analyzing the possible effects of MITEs activation following polyploidization, their impact on gene expression and regulation and the mechanism of MITE proliferation. These findings suggest a role for MITEs in the diversification of wheat species and adaptation following polyploidization events.