Relationship between gene expressions and retrotransposons

Background Transposable elements (TEs) are both a boon and a bane to eukaryotic organisms, depending on where they integrate into the genome and how their sequences function once integrated. TEs: long interspersed elements (LINEs) and short interspersed elements (SINEs). LINEs and SINEs are retrotransposons, meaning they transpose via an RNA intermediate. Transposons are DNA sequences capable of moving in genomes. Early evidence showed their accumulation in many species and suggested their continued activity in at least isolated organisms. With the development of various genomic technologies over the past decade, it has become abundantly clear that ongoing activity is the rule rather than the exception. Results Active transposons of various classes occur in plants and animals, including humans. They continue to create new insertions, have an enormous variety of structural and functional impacts on genes and genomes, and play important roles in genome evolution. Researchers have identified and measured transposon activities by employing various strategies. RNA interference (RNAi) refers to a mechanism in which cells control gene expression, protect the genome against mobile repetitive DNA sequences, retroelements, and transposons, and defend themselves against viruses. Two core components, the dicer and the Argonaut, are central to the RNAi machinery. Conclusions In this article, we aimed to understand how transposons are associated with neurological and cancer diseases. Studies have shown that transposons have a close relationship with these diseases. We summarize evidence of current transposon activity in various plant and animal genomes.