What do we still need to know about transposable element Ac?
Transposable elements, originally discovered by Barbara McClintock, have been shown to occur in many if not all organisms. Their roles as selfish DNA (probable), as a major agent in evolution (unlikely) and as agents for the response to genomic stress (unclear) are discussed. Among the problems presently addressed are the mechanism of transposition and the regulation of transposition rate. The latter seems to differ in the Ac element of Zea mays compared to other transposable elements. The tendency of Ac transposase to form large aggregates is described, and the possible involvement of these aggregates in the control of the transposition rate is discussed.
Starlinger
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Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Germany.
D005075:Biological Evolution; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics
D004251:DNA Transposable Elements