Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are viewed as major contributors to the evolution of fungal genomes. Genomic resources such as BAC libraries are an underutilized resource for studying genome-wide TE distribution. Using the BAC end sequences and physical map that are available for the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea, we describe a likelihood ratio test designed to identify clustering of TEs in the genome. A significant variation in the distribution of three TEs, MAGGY, MGL, and Pot2 was observed among the fingerprint contigs of the physical map. We utilized a draft sequence of M. grisea chromosome 7 to validate our results and found a similar pattern of clustering. By examining individual BAC end sequences, we found evidence for 11 unique integrations of MAGGY or MGL into Pot2 but no evidence for the reciprocal integration of Pot2 into another TE. This suggests that: (a) the presence of Pot2 in the genome predates that of the other TEs, (b) Pot2 was less transpositionally active than other TEs, or (c) that MAGGY and MGL have integration site preference for Pot2. High transition/transversion mutation ratios as well as bias in transition site context was observed in MAGGY and MGL elements, but not in Pot2 elements. These features are consistent with the effects of a Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutation-like process occurring in MAGGY and MGL elements. This study illustrates the general utility of a physical map and BAC end sequences for the study of genome-wide repetitive DNA content and organization.