Author
Pamela Dunsmuir
Bio: Pamela Dunsmuir is an academic researcher from Harvard University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Genome & Transposable element. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 7 publications receiving 795 citations.
Topics: Genome, Transposable element, Genome evolution, Retrotransposon, Gene
Papers
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TL;DR: A DNA sequence arrangement found in the D. melanogaster embryo genome appears to result from a transposition of an element of the copia dispersed repeated gene family into a new chromosomal site.
250 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that 412, copia and 297 are capable of evolutionarily rapid transpositions to new chromosomal sites and are able to be passed on from D. melanogaster strains to individuals from the same laboratory stock.
204 citations
TL;DR: Direct DNA sequence analysis demonstrates that a 5 bp sequence, present once in the target DNA at the site of insertion, is found on both sides of the element after insertion.
138 citations
TL;DR: The nucleotide sequence of the terminal regions of two members of the copia sequence family of D. melanogaster suggest that during transposition only one direct repeat of the parent element is used as a template for both direct repeats of the transposed element.
125 citations
83 citations
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TL;DR: It is argued that this variation in plant cell culture itself generates genetic variability (somaclonal variation) that may be employed to enhance the exchange required in sexual hybrids for the introgression of desirable alien genes into a crop species.
Abstract: It is concluded from a review of the literature that plant cell culture itself generates genetic variability (somaclonal variation). Extensive examples are discussed of such variation in culture subclones and in regenerated plants (somaclones). A number of possible mechanisms for the origin of this phenomenon are considered. It is argued that this variation already is proving to be of significance for plant improvement. In particular the phenomenon may be employed to enhance the exchange required in sexual hybrids for the introgression of desirable alien genes into a crop species. It may also be used to generate variants of a commercial cultivar in high frequency without hybridizing to other genotypes.
3,113 citations
TL;DR: Natural selection operating within genomes will inevitably result in the appearance of DNAs with no phenotypic expression whose only ‘function’ is survival within genomes.
Abstract: Natural selection operating within genomes will inevitably result in the appearance of DNAs with no phenotypic expression whose only ‘function’ is survival within genomes. Prokaryotic transposable elements and eukaryotic middle-repetitive sequences can be seen as such DNAs, and thus no phenotypic or evolutionary function need be assigned to them.
1,694 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that most human cancers are not caused by conventional mutagens but are more likely to be the result of genetic transpositions, and the external factors that influence its frequency have not yet been studied in any detail.
Abstract: The limited evidence available suggests that most human cancers are not caused by conventional mutagens but are more likely to be the result of genetic transpositions. Although the molecular biology of transposition is starting to be understood, the external factors that influence its frequency have not yet been studied in any detail.
613 citations
613 citations
TL;DR: This analysis represents an initial characterization of the transposable elements in the Release 3 euchromatic genomic sequence of D. melanogaster for which comparison to the transPOSable elements of other organisms can begin to be made.
Abstract: Transposable elements are found in the genomes of nearly all eukaryotes. The recent completion of the Release 3 euchromatic genomic sequence of Drosophila melanogaster by the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project has provided precise sequence for the repetitive elements in the Drosophila euchromatin. We have used this genomic sequence to describe the euchromatic transposable elements in the sequenced strain of this species. We identified 85 known and eight novel families of transposable element varying in copy number from one to 146. A total of 1,572 full and partial transposable elements were identified, comprising 3.86% of the sequence. More than two-thirds of the transposable elements are partial. The density of transposable elements increases an average of 4.7 times in the centromere-proximal regions of each of the major chromosome arms. We found that transposable elements are preferentially found outside genes; only 436 of 1,572 transposable elements are contained within the 61.4 Mb of sequence that is annotated as being transcribed. A large proportion of transposable elements is found nested within other elements of the same or different classes. Lastly, an analysis of structural variation from different families reveals distinct patterns of deletion for elements belonging to different classes. This analysis represents an initial characterization of the transposable elements in the Release 3 euchromatic genomic sequence of D. melanogaster for which comparison to the transposable elements of other organisms can begin to be made. These data have been made available on the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project website for future analyses.
593 citations