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Repeats in genomic DNA: mining and meaning
1Genetic Information Research Institute, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, USA. jurka@charon.girinst.org
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|July 17, 1998
Summary
Eukaryotic cells have long harbored transposable elements within repetitive DNA. These mobile genetic elements form complex intracellular ecosystems intertwined with genomic evolution.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Eukaryotic cells have a long evolutionary history.
- Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences.
- TEs are often found in repetitive DNA within genomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term association between transposable elements and eukaryotic genomes.
- To understand the concept of 'intracellular ecosystems' formed by TEs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of repetitive DNA sequences.
- Experimental research on transposable elements.
Main Results:
- Transposable elements have existed in eukaryotic cells for hundreds of millions of years.
- These elements are preserved in repetitive DNA sequences.
- Complex intracellular ecosystems of TEs have been revealed.
Conclusions:
- Transposable elements and eukaryotic genomes have co-evolved.
- The history of TEs is inseparable from genomic evolution.
- TEs contribute to the dynamic nature of eukaryotic genomes.