Table 3.

Theorized Modes of TE “Self”-Regulation and Evolution

Type of regulation/evolution Example Reference
Targeted insertionGene-proximal regions in C. elegans Holmes 1998
Heterochromatin vs. euchromatin A. thaliana centromeric regions Okamoto and Hirochika 2001
Interactions between subfamilies Tc1 variants in C. elegans Holmes 1998
Interactions between autonomous and  nonautonomous elements Tc1 hitchhikers inC. elegans Holmes 1998
Changes in transposase-DNA specificity Tc1/mariner and relatives Holmes 1998; Lampe et al. 2001
Mutations destroying autonomyDeletion products of D. melanogaster P elements Engles 1996
Alternative splicingERV-3 retrovirus in H. sapiens Larsson et al. 1997
Conversions between TEs and virusesInvertebrate retroviruses Malik et al. 2000
Colonization of new host speciesSpread of gypsyin Drosophila Mejlumian et al. 2002