Table 5C-2. Exaptation of transposases to regulatory and other protein functions
Organism	New Protein Function(s)	References
Budding yeast (Kluyveromyces lactis)	Mating-type switch specific endonuclease	(Rusche and Rine 2010)
Fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe)	Retrotransposon silencing	(Cam, Noma et al. 2008)
Fission yeast and mammals	Domestication of pogo-like transposases into centromere-binding proteins	(Casola, Hucks et al. 2008)
Ciliate protozoa	DNA cleavage for macronuclear development	(Nowacki, Higgins et al. 2009)
Arabidopsis	DAYSLEEPER from hAT transposase essential for normal plant growth; binds motif (Kubox1) upstream region of Ku70 DNA repair locus	(Bundock and Hooykaas 2005)
Arabidopsis	Transcription factors regulating light signalling	(Lin, Ding et al. 2007)
Arabidopsis	Maverick transposon-derived Mustang (MUG) family – essential for normal vigor and development	(Cowan, Hoen et al. 2005; Joly-Lopez, Forczek et al. 2012)
Sugarcane, rice, maize (Zea mays) and Sorghum bicolor	Mustang (MUG) family – highly conserved in grasses; ubiquitously transcribed, downregulated by phytohormones; possible involvement in hormonal homeostasis	(Kajihara, de Godoy et al. 2012)
Arabidopsis	FHY3 and FAR1 transcriptional regulatory proteins involved in phytochrome A-signaling pathway	(Hudson, Lisch et al. 2003)
Cereal grasses (wheat, barley, rice, oat, rye, maize, sorghum and sugarcane)	Gary protein from hAT transposase, shows conservation and positive selection across grasses but function unknown	(Muehlbauer, Bhau et al. 2006)
Drosophila and other animals	Minos/Tc1 transposase related to paired DNA-binding domain and Pax family of transcription factors	(Franz, Loukeris et al. 1994; Breitling and Gerber 2000)
Drosophila	PIF transposons protein containing a Myb/SANT domain, closely related to MADF DNA-binding domain in several Drosophila transcription factors	(Casola, Lawing et al. 2007)
Drosophila and other animals	Pipsqueak (Psq) DNA binding domain family proteins related to CENP-B/transposase subgroup	(Siegmund and Lehmann 2002)
Vertebrates	HARBI1, conserved protein for vertebrate development predicted nuclease, from Harbinger transposon	(Kapitonov and Jurka 2004)
Vertebrates	Adaptive immune system endonuclease for VDJ joining activity in antigen receptor diversification	(Brandt and Roth 2004; Kapitonov and Jurka 2005)
Homo sapiens	Chimeric SETMAR chromatin remodeling function from Hsmar1 transposase	(Cordaux, Udit et al. 2006)
Homo sapiens	PogZ derived from lentivirus (retrovirus) integrase; interacts with lens epithelium-derived growth factor/p75 (LEDGF/p75)	(Bartholomeeusen, Christ et al. 2009)
Homo sapiens	Metnase/SETMAR – chromatin formatting, suppresses chromosome rearrangements, enhances DNA repair, replication, and decatenation	(Shaheen, Williamson et al. 2010; Fnu, Williamson et al. 2011)
Drosophila and humans	THAP apoptosis protein DNA-binding domain related to P factor transposase	(Roussigne, Kossida et al. 2003; Quesneville, Nouaud et al. 2005)
Many eukaryotes	WRKY-GCM1 Zn-finger DNA binding domain from MULE transposases	(Babu, Iyer et al. 2006)
Many eukaryotes	BED finger DNA-binding domain in chromatin insulator-binding proteins	(Aravind 2000)

 

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