Identification of new medium reiteration frequency repeats in the genomes of Primates, Rodentia and Lagomorpha.

We report eleven new families of MEdium Reiteration frequency (MER) interspersed repeats in the genomes of Primates, Rodentia, and Lagomorpha. Two families of the human repeats, MER 46 and MER 47, represent non-autonomous DNA transposons. These sequences are flanked by TA target site duplications and have terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) similar to TIRs of DNA transposons. The sequences of five other families of repeats, MER41, MER48, MER50, MER51, and RMER3, resemble long terminal repeats of retroviruses. A potential involvement of some of the reported MER repeats in the regulation of transcription and genetic rearrangements is suggested. Age estimations place the origin of most MER repeats at the time of decline in MIR (Mammalian-wide Interspersed Repeats) retroposition and before the origin of the Alu family.