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Nonautonomous transposable elements in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

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Abstract

Defective (nonautonomous) copies of transposable elements are relatively common in the genomes of eukaryotes but less common in the genomes of prokaryotes. With regard to transposable elements that exist exclusively in the form of DNA (nonretroviral transposable elements), nonautonomous elements may play a role in the regulation of transposition. In prokaryotes, plasmid-mediated horizontal transmission probably imposes a selection against nonautonomous elements, since nonautonomous elements are incapable of mobilizing themselves. The lower relative frequency of nonautonomous elements in prokaryotes may also retlect the coupling of transcription and translation, which may bias toward the cis activation of transposition. The cis bias we suggest need not be absolute in order to militate against the long-term maintenance of prokaryotic elements unable to transpose on their own. Furthermore, any cis bias in transposition would also decrease the opportunity for trans repression of transposition by nonautonomous elements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 4566 Scott Avenue, Box 8232, 63110, St. Louis, MO, USA

    D. L. Hartl & E. R. Lozovskaya

  2. Department of Biology, University of Utah, 205A Life Sciences Building, 84112, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    J. G. Lawrence

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  1. D. L. Hartl
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  2. E. R. Lozovskaya
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  3. J. G. Lawrence
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Hartl, D.L., Lozovskaya, E.R. & Lawrence, J.G. Nonautonomous transposable elements in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Genetica 86, 47–53 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00133710

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00133710

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