Capsid transfer of the retrotransposon Copia controls structural synaptic plasticity in Drosophila

Transposons are parasitic genome elements that serve as raw material for the evolution of new cellular functions. In this study, the capsid of the virus-derived retrotransposon Copia is shown to mediate synaptic plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.

Pro gradu Mikko Kolkkala.pdf

Ancient retroviruses played a key role in the evolution of vertebrate brains, suggest researchers

Researchers report in the journal Cell that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin—and, by extension, our large, complex brains.

DNA element with a murky past is borrowing cell's repair machinery

Like its viral cousins, a somewhat parasitic DNA sequence called a retrotransposon has been found borrowing the cell's own machinery to achieve its goals.

Retrotransposons hijack alt-EJ for DNA replication and eccDNA biogenesis - Nature

Retrotransposons hijack the alternative end-joining DNA repair process of the host for a circularization step to synthesize their second-strand DNA.

A not-so-selfish 'genetic parasite' helps to preserve fertility

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences are essential parts of many species' genomes. The highly repetitive nature of these DNA sequences makes them susceptible to shrinkage over time—and if they shrink too much, cells die. If rDNA shrinks too much in germ cells, the cells that become eggs and sperm, then individuals may become infertile and their lineages may go extinct.

Retrotransposon activation during Drosophila metamorphosis conditions adult antiviral responses - Nature Genetics

Expression of mdg4 retrotransposons during Drosophila metamorphosis activates the antiviral NF-κB factor Relish. Silencing of mdg4 or Relish at the pupal stage leads to an inability to clear exogenous viruses in adulthood.