title: It takes two transposons to tango: transposable-element-mediated chromosomal rearrangements.
abstract: Transposable elements (TEs) promote various chromosomal rearrangements more efficiently, and often more specifically, than other cellular processes(1-3). One explanation of such events is homologous recombination between multiple copies of a TE present in a genome. Although this does occur, strong evidence from a number of TE systems in bacteria, plants and animals suggests that another mechanism - alternative transposition - induces a large proportion of TE-associated chromosomal rearrangements. This paper reviews evidence for alternative transposition from a number of unrelated but structurally similar TEs. The similarities between alternative transposition and V(D)J recombination are also discussed, as is the use of alternative transposition as a genetic tool.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics and Evolution Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia. gray@rsbs.anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000502:physiology; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D045567:VDJ Recombinases
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D045567:VDJ Recombinases