Transposable Elements II

Dear Colleagues,

Transposable elements are discrete DNA sequences ubiquitous among prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. The ability to self-replicate and move within and among chromosomes, inserting in both coding and noncoding regions, makes transposable elements particularly important for genome functionality and evolution. Transposable elements were first discovered nearly 70 years ago and considered mostly deleterious for host genomes—a kind of genomic parasite. Despite their selfish nature, later studies indicated their high natural abundance within genomes (up to 50% in some instances) and their implications for genome evolution.

Nowadays, the implication of transposable elements in many biological processes is well known, including speciation, adaptation, horizontal transfer, and pathological conditions in humans. At the genome level, transposable elements are currently recognized as a powerful source of genetic variation, genomic restructuring, and gene expression modulation. Moreover, a growing body of evidence highlights events of exaptation, in which transposable element sequences have been “recruited” by host genomes and integrated in gene structures and/or gene regulatory networks. Transposable elements have even been found to play a role in development, neurogenesis, and aging.

In recent years, the use of transposable elements as a means of genomic modification and transgenesis has been envisaged and effectively put into practice. Today, some engineered transposable elements are used for gene transfer therapy.

In the current “genomic era”, in which NGS technologies allow the sequencing and assembly of many genomes and transcriptomes, studies of transposable elements have been boosted by the huge quantity of available sequence information. Therefore, we are currently in an exciting moment for transposable element studies! The present Special Issue aims to gather current knowledge from past studies and from cutting-edge transposable element research through selected papers on hot topics of transposable element biology. Therefore, studies based on experimental evidence, suggesting or updating evolutionary models, and dealing with applications are well suited for this Special Issue.

The Guest Editor Prof. Dr. Teresa Capriglione passed away after a battle with her illness.

Prof. Dr. Teresa Capriglione

Dr. Anna Maria Pappalardo

Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.