LINE-RELATED ELEMENTS IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

Mobile elements known as LINEs are members of a superfamily of repeate d DNA conserved from protozoa to man. These sequences propagate by the retrotranscription of RNA intermediates and differ in many respects f rom retroviruses. Whereas most eukaryotic genomes host a single LINE f amily, several families of LINE-like sequences or type II retrotranspo sons coexist in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Properties and features of these elements are discussed in this work.