Brown University

Transposable Element Activation in Somatic Tissues Impacts Drosophila Physiology and Lifespan

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Abstract:
Transposable elements (TEs) are parasitic mobile sequences of DNA that make up large percentages of their host genomes. Because of their ability to move about the genome, TEs are a significant source of genomic damage. Their reactivation and mobilization can cause insertional mutagenesis, double strand DNA breaks, and even apoptosis. Thankfully, host genomes have evolved multiple suppressive molecular mechanisms to silence TEs. These include RNA interference (RNAi) pathways such as the short interfering RNA (siRNA) and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathways as well as the establishment of repressive heterochromatin. Loss of these repressive mechanisms results in TE reactivation, genomic damage, cellular dysfunction, and compromised tissue function. This thesis examines the role of these repressive mechanisms in maintaining TE silencing in somatic tissues and the impact of their loss on organismal physiology and lifespan.
Notes:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brown University, 2017

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Citation

Jones, Brian C., "Transposable Element Activation in Somatic Tissues Impacts Drosophila Physiology and Lifespan" (2017). Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://doi.org/10.7301/Z0X065HH

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