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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
Published on: April 23, 2016
Absence of close-facing retrotransposons: a comparison of molecular data and theory
Alexandros Bousios1, David Waxman, Stephen R Pearce
1School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, John Maynard-Smith Building, Brighton BN1 9QG, Sussex UK.
Abstract:
Retrotransposons occur in extremely large numbers in many eukaryotic genomes. However, little is known of the factors which affect the distribution of close proximity elements. In this work we investigate the frequency of close facing retrotransposons in a plant species with extremely high numbers of retrotransposons. Molecular observations are compared with predictions of a mathematical model that assumes a uniform probability of retrotransposon insertion into the genome. The mathematical model plays the role of a null hypothesis. We find that compared with the predictions of the model, there is a statistically significant deficit of identical copies of facing retroelements that are close to one another. This suggests that an efficient mechanism exists that removes or limits close facing retroelements.
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