title: Mobile elements: drivers of genome evolution.
abstract: Mobile elements within genomes have driven genome evolution in diverse ways. Particularly in plants and mammals, retrotransposons have accumulated to constitute a large fraction of the genome and have shaped both genes and the entire genome. Although the host can often control their numbers, massive expansions of retrotransposons have been tolerated during evolution. Now mobile elements are becoming useful tools for learning more about genome evolution and gene function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. kazazian@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Haig H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kazazian
mesh_terms: D020087:Alu Elements; D000818:Animals; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016678:Genome; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D020084:Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D018626:Retroelements; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018626:Retroelements