Duckweed found to differentially mark old and new transposons without DNA methylation

Transposons, so-called jumping genes, are a threat to genomes, so plants work hard to prevent them from mobilizing and re-inserting into the genome. Spirodela polyrhiza, the most ancient member of the duckweed family, uses an understudied epigenetic mechanism to mark old transposons without DNA methylation. Transposons, so-called jumping genes, are a threat to genomes, so plants work hard to prevent them from mobilizing and re-inserting into the genome. Spirodela polyrhiza, the most ancient member of the duckweed family, uses an understudied epigenetic mechanism to mark old transposons without DNA methylation. Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories