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Review
. 2018 Nov 19;19(1):199.
doi: 10.1186/s13059-018-1577-z.

Ten things you should know about transposable elements

Guillaume Bourque  1   2 , Kathleen H Burns  3 , Mary Gehring  4 , Vera Gorbunova  5 , Andrei Seluanov  5 , Molly Hammell  6 , Michaël Imbeault  7 , Zsuzsanna Izsvák  8 , Henry L Levin  9 , Todd S Macfarlan  9 , Dixie L Mager  10 , Cédric Feschotte  11
Affiliations
Review

Ten things you should know about transposable elements

Guillaume Bourque et al. Genome Biol. .

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of eukaryotic genomes. However, the extent of their impact on genome evolution, function, and disease remain a matter of intense interrogation. The rise of genomics and large-scale functional assays has shed new light on the multi-faceted activities of TEs and implies that they should no longer be marginalized. Here, we introduce the fundamental properties of TEs and their complex interactions with their cellular environment, which are crucial to understanding their impact and manifold consequences for organismal biology. While we draw examples primarily from mammalian systems, the core concepts outlined here are relevant to a broad range of organisms.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Classification of eukaryotic transposable elements. Schematic and examples showing the key features and relationships between TE classes, subclasses, superfamilies, and families. Blue circles represent TE-encoded enzymes. circDNA circular DNA intermediate, DIRS Dictyostelium repetitive sequence, dsDNA linear double-stranded DNA intermediate, EN endonuclease, IN integrase, PLEs Penelope-like elements, HUH, Rep/Helicase protein with HUH endonuclease activity, RT reverse transcriptase, TP transposase, TPRT target primed reverse transcription, YR tyrosine recombinase (for other abbreviations, see text)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Ten things you should know about transposable elements (TEs). Examples of how TEs can impact genomes in direct and indirect ways. Blue boxes represent TEs, gray boxes represent canonical exons, and the black box represents a sequencing read. Right-angled arrows represent gene or TE promoters
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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