The contribution of transposable elements to transcriptional novelty in plants: the<i>FLC</i>affair
Leandro Quadrana
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive DNA sequences with the ability to replicate across genomes and generate mutations with major transcriptional effects. Epigenetic silencing mechanisms that target TEs to limit their activity, including DNA methylation, add to the range of gene expression variants generated by TEs. Here, using the iconic gene flowering locus C (FLC) as a case study I discuss the multiple ways by which TEs can affect the expression of genes and contribute to the adaptation of plants to changing environments
Topics & Concepts
Transposable elementNoveltyBiologyEvolutionary biologyGeneticsPsychologyGenomeGeneSocial psychologyChromosomal and Genetic VariationsPlant Molecular Biology ResearchPlant nutrient uptake and metabolism