Engines of change: Transposable element mutation rates are high and variable within Daphnia magna

Transposable elements (TEs) represent a major portion of most eukaryotic genomes, yet little is known about their mutation rates or how their activity is shaped by other evolutionary forces. Here, we compare short- and long-term patterns of genome-wide mutation accumulation (MA) of TEs among 9 genotypes from three populations of Daphnia magna from across a latitudinal gradient. While the overall proportion of the genome comprised of TEs is highly similar among genotypes from Finland, Germany, and Israel, populations are distinguishable based on patterns of insertion site polymorphism. Our direct rate estimates indicate TE movement is highly variable (net rates ranging from -11.98 to 12.79 x 10(−5) per copy per generation among genotypes), differing both among populations and TE families. Although gains outnumber losses when selection is minimized, both types of events appear to be highly deleterious based on their low frequency in control lines where propagation is not limited to random, single-progeny descent. With rate estimates 4 orders of magnitude higher than base substitutions, TEs clearly represent a highly mutagenic force in the genome. Quantifying patterns of intra- and interspecific variation in TE mobility with and without selection provides insight into a powerful mechanism generating genetic variation in the genome.