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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Inducible, Cell Type-Specific Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana Through LhGR-Mediated Trans-Activation
Published on: April 19, 2019
Controlled activation of retrotransposition for plant breeding
1The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Plant genomes consist to a large extent of transposable elements (TEs), predominantly retrotransposons. Their accumulation through periodic transposition bursts has shaped the structure and regulatory organization of plant genomes, often contributing to phenotypic traits. Transposon-generated phenotypes selected by humans during plant domestication have been maintained under strict selection during subsequent plant breeding. Our knowledge of the epigenetic, environmental, and developmental regulation of TE activity has advanced considerably in recent years. Here I will consider TEs as an attractive endogenous source of genetic variation that can be liberated in a controlled fashion and thus offer novel phenotypic diversity to be selected for crop improvement.
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