title: The origin of P elements in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: The P family of transposable genetic elements is thought to be a recent addition to the Drosophila melanogaster genome. New evidence suggests that the elements came from another Drosophila species, possibly carried by parasitic mites. The transposition mechanism of P elements involves DNA gap repair which may have facilitated their rapid spread through D. melanogaster worldwide. These results provide new insight into the process of a transposon's invasion into a new species and the potential risk of extinction such an invasion might entail.
authors.affiliation: Genetics Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Engels
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western; D000569:Americas; D000818:Animals; D003132:Commerce; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D019895:Transposases
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D019895:Transposases