Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Transposable genetic elements as agents of gene instability and chromosomal rearrangements

Abstract

Transposable genetic elements in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, when inserted at a given locus, can control expression of the locus and cause large scale rearrangements of adjacent DNA sequences. Striking similarities in genetic behaviour between the two groups of elements have led to the proposal of a molecular model of eukaryotic controlling elements, and to suggestions about the part such elements may play in evolution and differentiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Campbell, A. Adv. Genet. 11, 101–145 (1962).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Franklin, N. in The Bacteriophage Lambda (ed. Hershey, A. D.) 175 (Cold spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

  3. McClintock, B. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 21 197–216 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. McClintock, B. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. quant. Biol. 16, 13–47 (1951).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. McClintock, B. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 36, 344–355 (1950).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McClintock, B. Genetics 38, 579–599 (1953).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Peterson, P. A. Genetics 59, 391–398 (1968).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Peterson, P. A. Theor. appl. Genet. 40, 367–377 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fincham, J. R. S. & Sastry, G. R. K. A. Rev. Genet. 8, 15–50 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Saedler, H. & Starlinger, P. Molec. gen. Genet. 100, 178–189 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Adhya, S. & Shapiro, J. A. Genetics 62, 231–247 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Malamy, M. H. in The Lactose Operon (eds Beckwith, J. R., & Zipser, D.) 359–373 (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Starlinger, P. & Saedler, H. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Imm. 75, 111–152 (1976).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jordan, E., Saedler, H. & Starlinger, P. Molec. gen. Genet. 100, 296–306 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Saedler, H. & Starlinger, P. Molec. gen. Genet. 100, 190–202 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Shapiro, J. A. & Adhya, S. Genetics 62, 249–264 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Brachet, P., Eisen, H. & Rambach, A. Molec. gen. Genet. 108, 266–276 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S. in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York in the press).

  19. Saedler, H. & Heiss, B. Molec. gen. Genet. 122, 267–277 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chow, L. T. in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes, (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  21. Deonier, R. C. & Hadley, R. G. Nature 264, 191–193 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Starlinger, P., Saedler, H., Rak, B., Tillmann, E., Venkow, P. & Waltschewa, L. Molec. gen. Genet. 122, 279–286 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Malamy, M. H., Fiandt, M. & Szybalski, W. Molec. gen. Genet. 119, 207–222 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. de Crombrugghe, B., Adhya, S., Gottesman, M. & Pastan, I. Nature new Biol. 241, 260–264 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wetekam, W. & Ehring, R. Molec. gen. Genet. 124, 345–358 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Dumbly, C., Court, D. & Brachet, P., Molec. gen. Genet. 148, 175–182 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Besemer, J., in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes, (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  28. Adhya, S., Gottesman, M., de Crombrugghe, B. & Court, D. in RNA Polymerase (eds Losick, R. & Chamberlin, M.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Martin, R. G. A. Rev. Genet. 3, 181–216 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Ahmed, A. & Johansen, E. Molec. gen. Genet. 142, 263–275 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Reif, H. J. & Saedler, H., in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  32. Jaskunas, S. R., Lindhal, L. & Nomura, M. Nature 256, 183–187 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Cohen, S. N. Nature 263, 731–738 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Heffron, F. A., Bedinger, P., Champoux, J. & Falkow, S. in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  35. Kleckner, N., Chan, R. K., Tye, B.-K. & Botstein, D. J. molec. Biol. 97, 561–575 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Kopecko, D. J. & Cohen, S. N. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1373–1377 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Cohen, S. N. & Kopecko, D. J. Fedn Proc. 35, 2031–2036 (1976).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Saedler, H., Reif, H. J., Hu, S. & Davidson, D. Molec. gen. Genet. 132; 265–289 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Rak, B. Molec. gen. Genet. 149, 135–143 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Starlinger, P. & Saedler, H. Biochemie 54, 177–185 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Iino, T. Bact. Rev. 33, 454–475 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Fujita, H. & Yamaguchi, S. & Iino, T. J. gen. Microbiol. 76, 127–134 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Iino, T., Oguchi, T. & Hirano, T. J. gen. Microbiol. 89, 265–276 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Egel, R. in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  45. Howe, M. & Bade, E. Science 190, 624–632 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Bukhari, A. I. Ann. Rev. Genet. 10, 389–412 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Reif, H. J. & Saedler, H. Molec. gen. Genet. 137, 17–28 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Nevers, P., Reif, H. J. & Saedler, H. in DNA Insertion Elements, Plasmids and Episomes (eds Bukhari, A. I., Shapiro, J. & Adhya, S.) (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in the press).

  49. Ahmed, A. Molec. gen. Genet. 136, 243–253 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. McClintock, B. Am. Nat. 95, 265–277 (1961).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 61, 448–611 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Peterson, P. A. Genetics 46, 759–771 (1961).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 66, 20–28 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  54. McClintock, B. Brookh. Symp. Biol. 18, 162–184 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  55. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 57, 415–429 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  56. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 56, 393–401 (1957).

    Google Scholar 

  57. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 60, 469–476 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  58. Peterson, P. A. Genetica 41 33–56 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Peterson, P. A. Genetics 54, 249–266 (1966).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. McClintock, B. Carnegie Inst. Wash. Yearbook 70, 5–17 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  61. Green, M. M. Genetics 73, 187–194 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  62. Rasmuson, B., Green, M. M. & Karlsson, B.-M. Molec. gen. Genet. 133, 237–247 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Rasmuson, B. & Green, M. M. Molec. gen. Genet. 133, 249–260 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Green, M. M. Genetics 56, 467–482 (1967).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  65. Neuffer, M. G. Genetics 53, 541–549 (1966).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Doerschug, E. B. Theor. appl. Genet. 43, 182–189 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Ohno, S. in Evolution by Gene Duplication (George Allen & Unwin, London, 1970).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  68. Rigby, P. W. J., Burleigh, B. D., jun. & Hartley, B. S. Nature 251, 200–204 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Hozumi, N. & Tonegawa, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. 73, 3628–3632 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nevers, P., Saedler, H. Transposable genetic elements as agents of gene instability and chromosomal rearrangements. Nature 268, 109–115 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/268109a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/268109a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing