Mariner transposable element in insect cell lines

Fully degenerate polymersae chain reaction (PCR) primers, designed to repre sent amino-acid conserved regions between transposase genes of the Drosophi la mauritiana Tsacas & David and Hyalophora cecropia (L.) mariner transposa ble elements, were used to screen genomic DNA of 17 insect cell lines for a possible mariner-like element. All cell lines except that of Aedes albopic tus (Skuse) were positive, yielding a single appropriately sized band of 49 0 bp. This PCR product from 2 of the cell lines, Heliothis subflexa (Guenee ) and Heliothis virescens (F.),was further characterized by cloning and dir ect sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA products to confirm whether the product was a mariner-like transposon element. Alignment of the direct sequenced P CR-amplified DNA mariner-like element showed an amino acid identity of 43% to the mariner transposase gene of the Surinam cockroach, Pycnocelus surina mensis (L.).