title: Mobile genetic elements colonizing the genomes of metazoan parasites.
abstract: A substantial fraction of the genome of most eukaryotes, including those of metazoan parasites, is predicted to comprise repetitive sequences. Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) will make up much of these repetitive sequences, particularly the interspersed sequences. This article reviews information on MGEs that have colonized the genomes of metazoan parasites (i.e. parasites of parasites). Helminth and mosquito genomes, in particular, are compared with those of better-understood model organisms. MGEs from the genomes of metazoan parasites can be expected to have practical uses in transgenesis and epidemiological studies.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. paul.brindley@tulane.edu
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brindley
authors.forename: Thewarach
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laha
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loukas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004175:Diptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016678:Genome; D006376:Helminths / Q000235:genetics*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D018626:Retroelements