The role of transposable elements in health and diseases of the central nervous system

Reilly, M. T., Faulkner, G. J., Dubnau, J., Ponomarev, I., Gage, F. H. (November 2013) The role of transposable elements in health and diseases of the central nervous system. Journal of Neuroscience, 33 (45). pp. 17577-86. ISSN 0270-6474

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URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24198348
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3369-13.2013

Abstract

First discovered in maize by Barbara McClintock in the 1940s, transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that in some cases have the ability to move along chromosomes or "transpose" in the genome. This revolutionary finding was initially met with resistance by the scientific community and viewed by some as heretical. A large body of knowledge has accumulated over the last 60 years on the biology of TEs. Indeed, it is now known that TEs can generate genomic instability and reconfigure gene expression networks both in the germline and somatic cells. This review highlights recent findings on the role of TEs in health and diseases of the CNS, which were presented at the 2013 Society for Neuroscience meeting. The work of the speakers in this symposium shows that TEs are expressed and active in the brain, challenging the dogma that neuronal genomes are static and revealing that they are susceptible to somatic genomic alterations. These new findings on TE expression and function in the CNS have major implications for understanding the neuroplasticity of the brain, which could hypothetically have a role in shaping individual behavior and contribute to vulnerability to disease.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > DNA expression
diseases & disorders
diseases & disorders > nervous system diseases and disorders
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > DNA expression > transposable elements
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Dubnau lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 6 November 2013
Date Deposited: 23 Dec 2013 19:46
Last Modified: 25 Oct 2018 16:14
PMCID: PMC3818539
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/29155

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