THE POPULATION GENETICS OF TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS

转座元件是明显寄生的DNA序列 它们占据了大多数生物基因组的很大一部分 有机体。利用果蝇模型系统和理论 人口遗传学分析，控制和塑造的力量 这些元素的演变正在研究中。通过比较 X和X上几个类逆转录病毒元件的数目 来自自然种群的个体常染色体 可能表明自然选择的作用很小 以对抗插入物本身的突变表型。其他 实验表明，抑制交叉的倒置 此外，允许转座因子的积累。 不对称杂交可能作用的理论模型 在同一元素家族中的成员之间 消除元素，从而遏制复制 对种群的数量进行了分析。正在进行的实验 是针对不对称交叉的关系的 元素的正态交叉和分布 沿着不同的染色体。

Transposable elements are apparently parasitic DNA sequences that occupy a significant portion of the genome of most organisms. Using the Drosophila model system and theoretical population genetics analysis, the forces that control and shape the evolution of such elements are under study. By comparing the numbers of several retrovirus-like elements on the X and autosomes of individuals from a natural population it was possible to show that there is little role of natural selection against a mutant phenotype of the insertions themselves. Other experiments showed that inversions, which suppress crossing over, allow the accumulation of transposable elements. Theoretical models of the possible role of asymmetric crossing over between members of the same family of elements in the elimination of elements and thus the containment of copy number in the population were analyzed. Ongoing experiments are directed toward the relationship of the asymmetric crossing over to normal crossing over and the distribution of elements along the various chromosomes.