Feschotte Cédric, Pritham Ellen J
Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.
Annu Rev Genet. 2007;41:331-68. doi: 10.1146/annurev.genet.40.110405.090448.
Transposable elements are mobile genetic units that exhibit broad diversity in their structure and transposition mechanisms. Transposable elements occupy a large fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and their movement and accumulation represent a major force shaping the genes and genomes of almost all organisms. This review focuses on DNA-mediated or class 2 transposons and emphasizes how this class of elements is distinguished from other types of mobile elements in terms of their structure, amplification dynamics, and genomic effect. We provide an up-to-date outlook on the diversity and taxonomic distribution of all major types of DNA transposons in eukaryotes, including Helitrons and Mavericks. We discuss some of the evolutionary forces that influence their maintenance and diversification in various genomic environments. Finally, we highlight how the distinctive biological features of DNA transposons have contributed to shape genome architecture and led to the emergence of genetic innovations in different eukaryotic lineages.
转座元件是可移动的遗传单位，其结构和转座机制具有广泛的多样性。转座元件在许多真核生物基因组中占据很大比例，它们的移动和积累是塑造几乎所有生物的基因和基因组的主要力量。本综述聚焦于DNA介导的或2类转座子，并强调这类元件在结构、扩增动态和基因组效应方面如何与其他类型的移动元件相区分。我们提供了真核生物中所有主要类型DNA转座子（包括Helitrons和Mavericks）的多样性和分类分布的最新观点。我们讨论了一些影响它们在各种基因组环境中维持和多样化的进化力量。最后，我们强调了DNA转座子独特的生物学特征如何有助于塑造基因组结构，并导致不同真核生物谱系中遗传创新的出现。
