RESUMO
Transposable elements (TEs) are being investigated as potential molecular tools in genetic engineering, for use in procedures such as transgenesis and insertional mutagenesis. Naturally active and reconstructed active TEs are both being studied to develop non-viral delivery vehicles. To date, the active elements being used include three Mariner-Like Elements (MLEs). We review below the studies that have investigated the ability of these MLEs to insert a transgene in vertebrate cells.
Assuntos
Células/metabolismo , Elementos de DNA Transponíveis/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Técnicas de Transferência de Genes , Transposases/genética , Vertebrados/genética , Animais , HumanosRESUMO
Metallothioneins (MTs) are important proteins in the intracellular regulation of metals. In the Mytilidae family, which includes many economically important species, 2 major forms of MTs have been reported: MT-10 (10 kDa) and MT-20 (20 kDa). Many different MT-10 proteins have been isolated from the common species Mytilus edulis, which suggests that distinct MT-10 genes may occur in a single specimen. Some MT genes, involving 3 exons and 2 large introns, have been isolated in Mytilidae. Our aim was to determine whether intron-free forms of the MT-10 genes can exist, which could allow rapid transcription in response to exposure to metals. Our study focused on 2 species living under very different environmental conditions: Mytilus edulis (a coastal mussel) and Bathymodiolus thermophilus (a hydrothermal mussel). We report here the first description of small, intron-free MT-10 genes, possessing a correct open reading frame in these 2 species.