Transposable elements (TEs) are widely known for their deleterious consequences of selfish propagation and mutagenesis. However, as described in this Review, TEs also provide hosts with rich, beneficial gene-regulatory machinery in the form of regulatory DNA elements and TE-derived gene products. The authors highlight the diverse regulatory contributions of TEs to organismal physiology and pathology, provide a framework for responsibly assigning functional roles to TEs and offer visions for the future.
- Edward B. Chuong
- Nels C. Elde
- Cédric Feschotte
