DNA transposon termini signatures
The Dfam consortium is excited to announce the generation and release of terminal repeat sequence signatures for class II DNA transposable elements. The termini of class II elements are crucial for movement, and as such, can be used to classify de novo DNA transposable element families in new genomic sequences (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Major subgroups of class II DNA transposons.
The LOGOs of the termini can be viewed on the “Classifications” tab on the Dfam website and are organized by class II subclasses (e.g., Crypton, Helitron, TIR, etc.) (Figure 2). This allows for easy visualization of the base conservation at each position in the terminal sequences and comparisons between the 5’ and 3’ termini (Figure 2). In addition, the termini profiles are available for download as a .HMM file.
Figure 2. Termini signature visualization on the Dfam website (www.dfam.org) sample. Base conservation can be seen via the LOGOs of the 5’, 3’ and combined edge (termini) HMMs. The movement type can be seen preceding DNA transposons that move via a common mechanism (e.g. “Circular dsDNA intermediate). The number of families used to generate the LOGOs are indicated, as well as the subclass named (e.g. “Crypton_A”). Additional notes on the termini, when relevant, are also available.
Community data submissions
We have taken the first small step towards a community-driven data curation platform by developing a new data submission system. At the start this will facilitate the process of uploading data to the site for processing by the curators. As we move forward, further aspects of the curation process will be made available to the community. Upon creating an account and logging in, users can submit files to Dfam using our web-based upload page. Here you will also find information about submission requirements and how different levels of library quality are handled in Dfam.
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