Transposable elements and host genome evolution

Several recent reports have challenged the idea that transposable elements (TEs) are mainly ‘selfish’ or ‘junk’ DNA with little importance for host evolution. It has been proposed that TEs have the potential to provide host genomes with the ability to enhance their own evolution. They might also be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in Ecology & Evolution 2000-03, Vol.15 (3), p.95-99
Main Authors: Kidwell, Margaret G, Lisch, Damon R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biological evolution
Enhancer elements
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene expression
Gene regulation
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
Host genome evolution
Junk DNA hypothesis
Molecular sequence data
Repetitive
Selfish DNA hypothesis
Transposable elements
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Summary:Several recent reports have challenged the idea that transposable elements (TEs) are mainly ‘selfish’ or ‘junk’ DNA with little importance for host evolution. It has been proposed that TEs have the potential to provide host genomes with the ability to enhance their own evolution. They might also be a major source of genetic diversity, allowing response to environmental changes. Because the relationships between TEs and host genomes are highly variable, and because the selfish, junk and beneficial DNA hypotheses are by no means mutually exclusive, a single label for these relationships appears to be inappropriate and potentially misleading.
ISSN:0169-5347
1872-8383
DOI:10.1016/S0169-5347(99)01817-0