Symposium Abstract

Eillen Tecle and Erin Radloff

Department of Biology

Analysis of Retrotransposition Capabilities of Non-autonomous Mobile DNA

Nearly half of the human genome consists of transposable element (TE) DNA sequences. Most of these sequences were derived from the process of retrotransposition. This term refers to a gene being transcribed into RNA, converted back to DNA and the copy integrated elsewhere in the genome. Long interspersed DNA elements (LINEs) are hypothesized to not only provide the necessary enzymes for their own propagation but for other TEs as well. Upon developing the tools to incorporate a retrotransposition assay, the non-autonomous elements will be investigated to test this hypothesis and to determine the important features that improve their retrotransposition capabilities.

Poster - 10:30 a.m.~12:30 p.m. - Guild Hall.