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Turned on by stress. Plant retrotransposons
1University of Georgia, Department of Botany, Life Sciences Building, Athens, 30602, USA. sue@dogwood.botany.uga.edu
Current Biology : CB
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Plant retrotransposons are usually inactive but activate under stress like wounding or pathogen attack. This stress-induced activation may be a survival strategy or generate genomic diversity.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Genomics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Active plant retrotransposons are typically quiescent during plant development.
- Retrotransposon activation is often observed in response to various environmental and biological stresses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the activation patterns of plant retrotransposons under stress conditions.
- To explore the potential roles of stress-induced retrotransposon activation in plant survival and genomic diversity.
Main Methods:
- Observational studies on retrotransposon activity in plants subjected to stress.
- Analysis of genomic changes associated with stress-induced retrotransposon activation.
Main Results:
- Plant retrotransposons, generally inactive during development, show activation upon exposure to stresses such as wounding, pathogen attack, and cell culture.
- This activation pattern suggests a link between stress and retrotransposon behavior.
Conclusions:
- Stress-induced activation of plant retrotransposons may represent a survival mechanism.
- Alternatively, these activated retrotransposons could be key drivers of genomic diversity, supporting McClintock's hypothesis.