The necessary junk: new functions for transposable elements
نویسندگان
چکیده
منابع مشابه
Transposable Elements: No More 'Junk DNA'
Since the advent of whole-genome sequencing, transposable elements (TEs), just thought to be 'junk' DNA, have been noticed because of their numerous copies in various eukaryotic genomes. Many studies about TEs have been conducted to discover their functions in their host genomes. Based on the results of those studies, it has been generally accepted that they have a function to cause genomic and...
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One of several issues at play in the renewed debate over "junk DNA" is the organizational level at which genomic features might be seen as selected, and thus to exhibit function, as etiologically defined. The intuition frequently expressed by molecular geneticists that junk DNA is functional because it serves to "speed evolution" or as an "evolutionary repository" could be recast as a claim abo...
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The numerous discovered cases of domesticated transposable element (TE) proteins led to the recognition that TEs are a significant source of evolutionary innovation. However, much less is known about the reverse process, whether and to what degree the evolution of TEs is influenced by the genome of their hosts. We addressed this issue by searching for cases of incorporation of host genes into t...
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Media attention and the subsequent scientific backlash engendered by the claim by spokespeople for the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project that 80% of the human genome has a biochemical function highlight the need for a clearer understanding of function concepts in biology. This article provides an overview of two major function concepts that have been developed in the philosophy of s...
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N atural selection, as Darwin rec ognized more than a centu ry ago, favors individuals and populations that acquire traits con ducive to survival and reproduction. The generation of biological variation, which gives rise to new and potentially advantageous combinations of genetic traits, is therefore a central requirement for the successful evolution of species in diverse and changing enviro...
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Human Molecular Genetics
سال: 2007
ISSN: 0964-6906,1460-2083
DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddm196