转座子是基因组中一段可移动的DNA重复片段。越来越多的研究表明,转座子是真核生物基因组的主要组成成分,是基因组和表型进化的主要动力之一,并且对基因表达调控网络的进化具有重要的贡献。由于转座子在基因组内具有可移动性,使其在生物技术和分子生物学领域备受重视,尤其在转基因技术上得到了广泛应用。本文综述了转座子在昆虫中的分布、类型及功能,重点阐述不同昆虫转座子在转基因技术中的应用,并对转基因安全性和转座子稳定性进行了讨论。
Transposon is a class of mobile repetitive DNA segments in the genome. Many studies found that transposons constitute a significant component of eukaryotic genomes. They are the main driving force of genomic and phenotypic evolution, and have an im- portant contribution to the evolution of gene regulatory networks. Transposon mobility in the genome makes them an attractive tool in the field of biotechnology and molecular biology, especially in transgenic technology. In this review, we introduced the distribution, types and functions of transposons in the insects, reviewed the application and examples of insect transposons in transgenie tech- niques, and discussed the trausgenic security and stability of transposon.