Transposable elements have been understudied due to methodological limitations. However, recent developments allow researchers to tackle the dynamics and evolution of this abundant, diverse, and active component of genomes.

In the 2014 volume of Annual Review of Genetics, researchers have evaluated how next generation sequencing technologies have increased and deepened our knowledge of transposable element dynamics and evolution in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. They discuss the evidence supporting the different models of transposable element evolution and provide the latest examples of TEs with functional implications that play a role in genome adaptation.

This work has been led by IBE researchers of the Evolutionary and functional genomics lab in collaboration with researchers of CNRs and Stanford University.

Reference Article Barron, M., Fiston-Lavier, A.S., Petrov,D.M., González. J.  Population Genomics of Transposable Elements in Drosophila. 2014 .Annual Review of Genetics . Vol. 48: 561-581.DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120213-092359