Plant Transposable Elements: Impact on Genome Structure and Function

Transposable elements are short lengths of DNA with the capacity to move between different points within a genome. This process can affect the function of genes at or near the insertion site. The present book gives an overview of the impact of transposable elements on plant genomes and explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies like “new generation sequencing.” Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail, and also illustrated in examples and case studies. The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that they are not just “junk DNA.”

Transposable elements are DNA sequences with the capacity to move within a genome. Although their presence and impact has long been known, the recent genome-wide analysis of many eukaryotic genomes has uncovered their major role in genome dynamics and function. The present book explains how to recognize and study transposable elements, e.g. by using state-of-the-art strategies based on new-generation sequencing. Moreover, the impact of transposable elements on plant genome structure and function is reviewed in detail and illustrated in examples and case studies.

The book is intended both for readers familiar with the field and for newcomers. With large-scale sequencing becoming increasingly available, more and more people will come across transposable element sequences in their data, and this volume will hopefully help to convince them that transposable elements are not just "junk" DNA, and may actually be the most interesting and fun part of their data!