2024/05/18 by Jie Chu, Josephine Newman, Jungnam Cho · 12 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Biology #Chromosomal and Genetic Variations #Computational biology #DNA #Ecology #Evolutionary biology #Gene #Genetics #Genome #Mimicry #Mobile genetic elements #Plant Molecular Biology Research #RNA modifications and cancer #Reprogramming #Retrotransposon #Transposable element
paper · doi:10.1093/pcp/pcae058
published in Plant and Cell Physiology 66(4), 490-495 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2024/05/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA elements that are particularly abundant in the plant genomes. They have long been considered as junk DNA; however, a growing body of evidence suggests that TE insertions promote genetic diversity that is essential for the adaptive evolution of a species. Thus far, studies have mainly investigated the cis-acting regulatory roles of TEs generated by their insertions nearby or within the host genes. However, the trans-acting effects of TE-derived RNA and DNA remained obscure to date. TEs contain various regulatory elements within their sequences that can accommodate the binding of specific RNAs and proteins. Recently, it was suggested that some of these cellular regulators are shared between TEs and the host genes, and the competition for the common host factors underlies the fine-tuned developmental reprogramming. In this review, we will highlight and discuss the latest discoveries on the biological functions of plant TEs, with a particular focus on their competitive binding with specific developmental regulators.