Transposable Elements

Studies during the first half of the 20th century indicated that genes are entities that are located on fixed sites along the chromosomes. Then, due to the research of Barbara McClintock, mobile genetic elements were revealed in maize. While this discovery was initially regarded as a peculiarity, further studies revealed a completely different picture. It has become clear that transposable elements (or elements that had the capability to be mobile in the past) exist in all organisms. These elements can change location and severely affect genes. In many organisms they even constitute the majority of the genetic material. There are two major classes of transposable elements. Class I elements that are mobilized with an RNA intermediate (retrotransposons), and class II elements that lack such an intermediate. This book provides a historical background and fully describes all known transposable elements, the modes of their transposition and the utilization of these elements in medicine, genetics, and crop improvement. It is targeted at a wide-range of readers and can be comprehended also by the novice in this field.