Mutator and MULE transposons

Abstract

Because it is highly mutagenic and relatively non-specific, the Mutator system of transposons has proved to be an extraordinarily useful tool for maize geneticists. It has also proved to be a valuable model system for understanding the basic biology of transposons in higher eukaryotes, particularly the means by which transposons are epigenetically silenced by their hosts. Further, the wide distribution and remarkable variety of Mu-like elements (MULEs) among plant species has illuminated the role that transposons can play in the evolution of genomes. This chapter will provide an overview of the biology and evolution of this highly active and diverse family of transposable elements.