Role of Miniature Inverted-Repeat Transposable Elements in Genome Evolution of Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Transposable elements are genomic parasites that move within the genome and can cause gene and genome evolution. Transposable elements make up significant portions of many eukaryotic genomes but have been little studied in animals. This research study focuses on characterizing and identifying a type of transposable element, called miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) within the Potamopyrgus antipodarum genome. MITEs are particularly small transposable elements which can occur in thousands of copies within a genome. This research is conducted using the genome of P. antipodarum, a species of mud snail that is native to New Zealand. This genome is currently being annotated by the Neiman Lab. My research focuses primarily on identifying and characterizing the MITEs that are present within this genome. Whenever assembling a new genome, the transposable element content of that genome should be assessed, which can only be done after these elements are identified and characterized. I identified the likely superfamilies and key characteristics of these MITEs. In my research I also assessed the genomic locations of these MITEs, determining if they are inserted in exons, introns, or intergenic regions. I discuss the proportions of MITEs inserted in these genomic locations and the implications of these insertions. Finally, these genomic insertions are assessed both based on MITE families and on all MITE sequences.