MITEs (miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements) are a class of transposable element first described from an insertion in the waxy gene of maize (Zea mays) that are found in the genomes of a wide range of eukaryotes. MITEs are short AT-rich elements that are found in high copy number in the genome, have a characteristic hairpin secondary structure, and are bounded by a short terminal inverted repeat (TIR). We have discovered a putative MITE inserted in the ninth intron of the waxy gene (granule-bound starch synthase I; GBSSI) in Uniola paniculata L., a species in subfamily Chloridoideae of the Poaceae. MITEs are known from a wide range of grasses, but this is the first such element described in this subfamily. The element is 212 bp long, has high AT content (85%), has a 10-bp TIR, and exhibits the hairpin secondary structure typical of MITEs. This element has no sequence similarity to previously described MITEs and has a unique insertion site sequence. These qualities indicate that this element belongs to a new family of transposable elements, which we have called Sprint. Properties of the element including copy number and taxonomic distribution will be discussed.

Key words: Chloridoideae, MITE, Poaceae, transposable element, Uniola paniculata