Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati Traverso", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Nov 15;20(22):5755. doi: 10.3390/ijms20225755.
The biology of transposable elements (TEs) is a fascinating and complex field of investigation. TEs represent a substantial fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and can influence many aspects of DNA function that range from the evolution of genetic information to duplication, stability, and gene expression. Their ability to move inside the genome has been largely recognized as a double-edged sword, as both useful and deleterious effects can result. A fundamental role has been played by the evolution of the molecular processes needed to properly control the expression of TEs. Today, we are far removed from the original reductive vision of TEs as "junk DNA", and are more convinced that TEs represent an essential element in the regulation of gene expression. In this review, we summarize some of the more recent findings, mainly in the animal kingdom, concerning the active roles that TEs play at every level of gene expression regulation, including chromatin modification, splicing, and protein translation.
转座元件（TEs）的生物学是一个引人入胜且复杂的研究领域。TEs 代表了许多真核生物基因组的重要组成部分，它们可以影响 DNA 功能的许多方面，从遗传信息的进化到复制、稳定性和基因表达。它们在基因组内移动的能力被广泛认为是一把双刃剑，因为既可能产生有益的影响，也可能产生有害的影响。分子过程的进化在正确控制 TEs 的表达方面发挥了基础性作用。如今，我们已经远离了 TEs 最初作为“垃圾 DNA”的简化观点，而更加坚信 TEs 是基因表达调控的一个重要组成部分。在这篇综述中，我们总结了一些最近的发现，主要是在动物王国中，关于 TEs 在基因表达调控的各个层面上所扮演的积极角色，包括染色质修饰、剪接和蛋白质翻译。
