Developmental regulation of transposable elements

转座因子的发育调控

• 批准号: 386644-2010
• 负责人: Lecuyer, Eric
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: Université de Montréal
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=485445
• 关键词: Developmental; regulation; transposable; elements

Transposons, also known as jumping-genes, are mobile genetic elements that can replicate and insert themselves into new locations in the genome. They make up a huge proportion of eukaryotic genomes, for example close to 50% of the human genome is composed of transposon sequences. Since their insertions have the potential to disrupt the functions of important genes located in the genome, uncontrolled transposon activity can be mutagenic and compromise cellular viability. This has led to the view that transposons are parasitic elements that are detrimental to cell survival and transposons are predicted to be the cause of a significant proportion of human diseases. However, despite this prevailing view, emerging evidence also suggests that transposons play important beneficial roles in the evolution of genome complexity. Our laboratory uses a simple but experimentally powerful model organism, the common fruit fly, to understand the roles that transposons play, whether beneficial or detrimental, during embryonic development. Since fruit flies are extremely well characterized and many genetic tools have been developed in this organism, we can harness these technologies to clarify the roles of transposons. This work is important in order to better understand the intimate relationship between transposons and their hosts.

转座子，也称为跳跃基因，是可移动的遗传元件，可以复制并将自身插入到基因组的新位置。它们在真核基因组中占很大比例，例如接近 50% 的人类基因组由转座子序列组成。由于它们的插入有可能破坏基因组中重要基因的功能，因此不受控制的转座子活性可能会产生诱变并损害细胞活力。这导致人们认为转座子是不利于细胞存活的寄生元件，并且预计转座子是大部分人类疾病的原因。然而，尽管存在这种普遍观点，新出现的证据也表明转座子在基因组复杂性的进化中发挥着重要的有益作用。我们的实验室使用一种简单但实验功能强大的模型生物（常见的果蝇）来了解转座子在胚胎发育过程中所发挥的作用，无论是有益的还是有害的。由于果蝇的特征非常明确，并且在该生物体中开发了许多遗传工具，因此我们可以利用这些技术来阐明转座子的作用。这项工作对于更好地理解转座子与其宿主之间的密切关系非常重要。