Retrotransposition of Alu elements: how many sources?

• DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2004.07.012
• Publication Date: 2004-08-14T10:23:46Z
• Authors: Richard Cordaux; Dale J. Hedges; Mark A. Batzer
• Keywords: Retrotransposon; Alu element; Subfamily

It is generally thought that only a few Alu elements are capable of retrotransposition and that these 'master' sources produce inactive copies. Here, we use a network phylogenetic approach to demonstrate that recently integrated human-specific Alu subfamilies typically contain 10-20% of secondary source elements that contributed 20-40% of all subfamily members. This multiplicity of source elements provides new insight into the remarkably successful amplification strategy of the Alu family.