Plant Transposable Elements

Transposable elements are short lengths of DNA with the capacity to move between different points within a genome. This process can affect the function of genes at or near the insertion site. The present book gives an overview of the impact of transposable elements on plant genomes and explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies like “new generation sequencing.” Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail, and also illustrated in examples and case studies. The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that they are not just “junk DNA.”

This volume details the most up-to-date technologies used in plant transposable element studies and provides easy-to-follow protocols. Chapters guide readers on available database resources, annotation of different families of transposon, and experimental methods to detect their transposition intermediates, neo-transposed DNAs, and transposition events. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Transposable Elements: Methods and Protocols aims to provide web-lab and dry-lab methodologies targeted at various levels from beginner to experienced.

"This new volume provides an up-to-date understanding of the numerous classes of plant transposable elements, the mobile units of DNA that comprise large portions of plant genomes, an important contributor for gene and genome evolution. Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of large plant genomes and main drivers of genome evolution, known to produce a wide variety of changes in plant gene expression and function. This book, Plant Transposable Elements: Biology and Biotechnology, provides a systematic interpretation of protocols designed to characterize TEs and their biotechnological roles. The chapters explore the role of TEs in plant development, their architecture, their epigenetic regulation, their use in DNA repair, their evolution and speciation, while highlighting their importance in the approaching epoch of climate change. It discusses the applications of the transposons in genome editing and their biology, classification, structure, functions, and evolution. The volume begins with introduction of transposable elements (TEs), covering their introduction, classification, and transposition. It delves into protocols designed to characterize TEs and their biotechnological applications. This section looks at computational approaches for prediction and analysis, retro-transposon capture sequencing, and more. The section on transposon biology focuses on its role in plant development and as natural genetic engineers of genome mutation, evolution, and speciation. The book looks further into transposon applications in genome editing, exploring tagging and mutagenesis, genome engineering, and more. The last chapter uses the example of Oryza sativa to elucidate on the classification, structure, function, and evolution of transposable elements. This comprehensive volume is a valuable comprehensive resource for researchers, faculty, and students in biology, biotechnology, genetics, and botany and plant science."--

Transposon tagging can work. Even though most of our understand ing about the factors that contribute to a successful tagging experiment has been accumulated from a limited number of experiments using different transposable elements in different genetic backgrounds, it is still possible to draw some conclusions regarding the best experimental strategies for gene tagging. In our experience, Spm has proved to be a good element for transposon tagging. The frequency of recovering mutable alleles in duced by Spm is not significantly different from that for Ac-Ds or for Mu 6 (summarized in Ref. 22) and varies from about 10- to 10=zr:-8pm has the unique advantage, however, in that all of the members of thiSfumily that have been examined thus far are homologous to each other at the DNA level. Therefore, by combining molecular analysis with genetic segre gation, it is possible to identify and isolate alleles that are due to insertions of either autonomous or nonautonomous Spm elements. There are definite steps one can take to increase the chances of de tecting a transposition into the gene of interest. The most important step is to select a genetic background in which the desired phenotype will be easy to screen. If the phenotype is not likely to be mutable, then tester lines should be constructed so as to contain flanking markers that can aid in subsequent segregation analyses.

This volume details the most up-to-date technologies used in plant transposable element studies and provides easy-to-follow protocols. Chapters guide readers on available database resources, annotation of different families of transposon, and experimental methods to detect their transposition intermediates, neo-transposed DNAs, and transposition events. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Transposable Elements: Methods and Protocols aims to provide web-lab and dry-lab methodologies targeted at various levels from beginner to experienced.

Transposable elements are short lengths of DNA with the capacity to move between different points within a genome. This process can affect the function of genes at or near the insertion site. The present book gives an overview of the impact of transposable elements on plant genomes and explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies like “new generation sequencing.” Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail, and also illustrated in examples and case studies. The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that they are not just “junk DNA.”

The following terms were used in this search: plant/s, transposable element/s, and mobile element/s. Includes the following information for the sponsored projects: title, investigators, performing organization, location of performing organization, objectives, and approach. The bibliography includes 129 citations from 1984 through 1991, and 162 citations 1992 through Sep. 1994. Some citations have abstracts.