Abstract
Transposable elements subvert host cellular functions to ensure their survival. Their interaction with the host DNA replication machinery indicates that selective pressures lead them to develop ancestral and convergent evolutionary adaptations aimed at conserved features of this fundamental process. These interactions can shape the co-evolution of the transposons and their hosts.
Highlights
Transposable elements (TE) are ubiquitous in the tree of life
TE maintain their presence in the host genome by increasing their copy number via transposition, and colonize new genomes through horizontal transfer
The purpose of this review is to summarize the current evidence of TE influence on host DNA replication and vice versa, and to speculate on the potential selection pressures that shape its evolution
Summary
Transposable elements (TE) are ubiquitous in the tree of life. They have colonized almost all genomes sequenced to date, throughout eukaryotic, prokaryotic and archaeal domains. TE maintain their presence in the host genome by increasing their copy number via transposition, and colonize new genomes through horizontal transfer. Through these activities, TE exert a major influence in the evolution of the species. TE are molecular parasitic elements that contain few genes, and they must condense multiple activities to subvert cellular functions to enable their continued presence in the host genome. This paucity of genetic payload leads molecular parasites to focus their intervention towards very fundamental cellular processes. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current evidence of TE influence on host DNA replication and vice versa, and to speculate on the potential selection pressures that shape its evolution
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