An active transposable element, Herves, from the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements have proven to be invaluable tools for genetically manipulating a wide variety of plants, animals, and microbes. Some have suggested that they could be used to spread desirable genes, such as refractoriness to Plasmodium infection, through target populations of Anopheles gambiae, thereby disabling the mosquito's ability to transmit malaria. To achieve this, a transposon must remain mobile and intact after the initial introduction into the genome. Endogenous, active class II transposable elements from An. gambiae have not been exploited as gene vectors/drivers because none have been isolated. We report the discovery of an active class II transposable element, Herves, from the mosquito An. gambiae. Herves is a member of a distinct subfamily of hAT elements that includes

SUBMITTER: Arensburger P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1449121 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature