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Mammalian Genome Plasticity: Expression Analysis of Transposable Elements

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Epigenetic Methods in Neuroscience Research

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 105))

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Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements, which constitute the single largest fraction of the mammalian genome. Though long assumed to be silent junk or parasitic, recent research has established that most of these elements are transcribed, often in a cell- and tissue-specific fashion and that this expression appears to be regulated in response to environmental influences. Therefore, it seems quite possible that these elements might prove to have a functional role in mammalian physiology and cell biology. Transposons have also been identified as pathogenic factors in both humans and animal models of diseases from cancer to neurodegeneration. These findings have stimulated further interest in transposon biology and created the need for further dissemination of the methods for analysis of TE expression, which is the goal of this chapter.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Developmental and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA, 02125, USA

    Brian B. Griffiths & Richard G. Hunter

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  1. Brian B. Griffiths
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  2. Richard G. Hunter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard G. Hunter .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Nina Karpova

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Griffiths, B.B., Hunter, R.G. (2016). Mammalian Genome Plasticity: Expression Analysis of Transposable Elements. In: Karpova, N. (eds) Epigenetic Methods in Neuroscience Research. Neuromethods, vol 105. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2754-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2754-8_11

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2753-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2754-8

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