High-frequency excision of transposable element Tc1 in the nematode caenorhabditis elegans is limited to somatic cells

Scott W. Emmons, Lewis Yesner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

104 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tc1 transposable elements in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans undergo excision at high frequency. We show here that this excision occurs primarily or entirely in the somatic tissues of the organism. Absence of germ-line excision is demonstrated by showing that Tc1 elements are genetically stable; elements at particular genomic sites, as well as the overall number of elements in the genome, were stably maintained during a year of continuous, nonselective propagation. Somatic excision is demonstrated by showing that empty Tc1 sites arise during a single generation of growth of a synchronous population and are not inherited by the next generation. These results suggest that excision of Tc1 elements is under the control of tissue-specific factors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)599-605
Number of pages7
JournalCell
Volume36
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1984

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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