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HEREDITAS ›› 2008, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (8): 967-976.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2008.00967

• 综述 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Advances of transposable element in genome of protozoa parasite

XU Jin-Shan1; ZHOU Ze-Yang1,2   

  1. 1. Laboratory of Animal Biology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China;
    2. The Key Laboratory of Sericulture and Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
  • Received:2008-02-15 Revised:2008-03-07 Online:2008-08-10 Published:2008-08-10
  • Contact: ZHOU Ze-Yang

Abstract: Transposable elements are important factors to cause genetic variation and recombination, which are widely spreaded in eukaryotic organisms. Object to the increasing numbers of transposable elements in protozoa genome, this review focus on the types and genomic distributions of transposable elements in newly completed genome of protozoa parasite, mainly including Trypanosoma, Leishmania, microsporidia, Amoebozoa. The LINE and SINE elements are predominated in protozoa genome, followed by the DNA transposons and LTR retrotransposons. Several elements incline to insert in AT-rich region, suggesting the possible close relationship between the activity of transposable elements and AT content of genome. By the comparision of the divergence of transposable elements in microspordian genome, it was hypothesed that at least one loss event of transposable element had occurred during microsporidian genomic evolution. Finally, the prospects of trans-posable elements were discussed in the application of functional gene research of protozoa.