Abstract
A recent paper published in BMC Genomics suggests that retrotransposition may be active in the human gut parasite Entamoeba histolytica. This adds to our knowledge of the various types of repetitive elements in parasitic protists and the potential influence of such elements on pathogenicity.See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/11/321
Highlights
A recent paper published in BMC Genomics suggests that retrotransposition may be active in the human gut parasite Entamoeba histolytica
Repetitive elements fall into three broad classes
Simple repeats can change in copy number, but do not move to new locations; DNA ‘cut-and-paste’ transposons are able to ‘jump’ to a new location; and retroposons move via an RNA intermediate, leaving an intact retroposon at the original location
Summary
A recent paper published in BMC Genomics suggests that retrotransposition may be active in the human gut parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Locations, of repetitive elements can alter the structures of proteins, influence gene expression and affect chromosome segregation and karyotypes. The numbers of simple repeats and transposons in the genomes of parasitic protists vary considerably, with estimates of the proportion of repetitive DNA in
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
