The splicing of maize transposable elements from pre-mRNA--a minireview

Abstract

There are six examples of maize transposable elements that are spliced from pre-mRNA. These represent the first introns that have been added to nuclear genes in recent years. All six are members of the Ac/Ds or Spm/dSpm family of elements and all have been inserted into exons of active genes within the last twenty-five years. The structure of these element-introns and the sequences involved in their splicing are presented. These examples illustrate how active transposable elements can also function as introns and how they may evolve into stable introns.