Active miniature transposons from a plant genome and its nonrecombining Y chromosome.

ABSTRACT: Mechanisms involved in eroding fitness of evolving Y chromosomes have been the focus of much theoretical and empirical work. Evolving Y chromosomes are expected to accumulate transposable elements (TEs), but it is not known whether such accumulation contributes to their genetic degeneration. Among TEs, miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements are nonautonomous DNA transposons, often inserted in introns and untranslated regions of genes. Thus, if they invade Y-linked genes and selection against their insertion is ineffective, they could contribute to genetic degeneration of evolving Y chromosomes. Here, we examine the population dynamics of active MITEs in the young Y chromosomes of the plant Silene latifolia and compare their distribution with those in recombining genomic regions. T

SUBMITTER: Bergero R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2248354 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature