Evolutionary and Adaptive Role of Transposable Elements in Agricultural Plants

Abstract

Transposable elements (TE) are stretches of DNA that represent the greatest fraction of genomes, especially in plants. Because of their high copy numbers and ability to mobilize through genome, they are able to influence the phenotypic traits and evolution of plants and also plant adaptation to environmental stress. By genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, they change the gene structure, influence gene expression and create new regulatory networks. The fraction of genome that they represent and the influence they have is variable among species; however they were detected in practically every plant genome researched up to date. Deleterious mutations may be caused by their activity which is also another reason why their expression is tightly regulated by the host organism. Gaining knowledge of TE's mechanisms and research development in the future will allow us to use them, for example for crop improvement purposes, resistance development against diseases and pathogens and suppression of invasive species.