Beneficial jumping gene discovered

Also referred to as jumping genes, transposons are snippets of "selfish DNA" that spread in their host genomes serving no other biological purpose but their own existence. Two geneticists now challenge that understanding. Working on the model plant Arabidopsis, they found that the COPIA-R7 transposon, which has jumped into the plant disease resistance gene RPP7, enhances the immunity of its host against a pathogenic microorganism.

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