ABSTRACT
Retrotransposons constitute an extensively distributed family of eukaryotic transposable elements. The retrotransposons share a number of structural features which reflect the mechanism by which new copies of the transposon are generated; this process is similar to that of retroviral reverse transcription and integration. In this review, several aspects of retrotransposon biology in light of recent investigations will be considered. Specifically, this review will summarize recent findings on the mechanism and regulation of retrotransposition, the structure of the elements, roles of the encoded gene product(s) in transposition, interactions between retrotransposons and adjacent host genes, and interactions between retrotransposons and host gene products (i.e., the insertion suppressors). Several other recent reviews of these topics are also available. 1 - 12 This review will concern itself primarily with 61yeast and insect elements, although where possible, results from vertebrate systems are also incorporated. Not discussed is another major class of eukaryotic transposons, typified by the P and Ac elements, which are characterized by short inverted terminal repeats.
