逆转座子及其在真核生物基因组进化中的作用

基因组内的转座子,特别是逆转座子以不同的方式推动着基因组的进化.在植物和哺乳动物中,逆转座子不断积聚,已经占了基因组成的一大部分,不仅对基因而且对基因组都有较大的影响.虽然宿主常能够控制它们的数量,但在整个的进化中它们的大量的扩增还是被保留了下来.现在,它们已经成了研究基因进化和基因功能的非常有用的工具.

RETROTRANSPOSONS AND THEIR ROLES IN THE EVOLUTION OF GENOMES OF EUKARYOTES

Transposons, especially retrotransposons in the genome drive the evolution of the genome in various ways. They have been accumulating in plants and mammals all the time and have now account for a major part of the genome composition. They influence not only individual genes but the genome as a whole. Although the host can, to some extent, control their quantity, large amount of their expansion in the course of evolution has been retained. They have now become very powerful tools for the studies of gene evolution and gene function.