title: The application of LTR retrotransposons as molecular markers in plants.
abstract: Retrotransposons are a major agent of genome evolution. Various molecular marker systems have been developed that exploit the ubiquitous nature of these genetic elements and their property of stable integration into dispersed chromosomal loci that are polymorphic within species. The key methods, SSAP, IRAP, REMAP, RBIP, and ISBP, all detect the sites at which the retrotransposon DNA, which is conserved between families of elements, is integrated into the genome. Marker systems exploiting these methods can be easily developed and inexpensively deployed in the absence of extensive genome sequence data. They offer access to the dynamic and polymorphic, nongenic portion of the genome and thereby complement methods, such as gene-derived SNPs, that target primarily the genic fraction.
authors.affiliation: Plant Genomics, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen, Finland. alan.schulman@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Alan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Flavell
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paux
authors.forename: T H Noel
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018745:Genome, Plant; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018626:Retroelements / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018626:Retroelements