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551-1332-00L 6 Credits BSC D-BIOL
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Transposable Elements

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Olivier Voinnet
Number of participants limited to 9. The enrolment is done by the D-BIOL study administration.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:33:01

Abstract

The host laboratory focuses on “RNA silencing”, a universal mechanism of gene regulation mediated by small RNAs. In plants, one key function of RNA silencing is to mediate defense against invasive parasites such as viruses and transposable elements, the latter being the object of this course. The single project will be conducted in parallel by three groups of three students.

Objective

Transposable elements (TEs) are fragments of DNA that can insert into new chromosomal locations; some copy themselves and increase in number within the genome. Though they may cause single-gene mutagenic events, the large scale chromosome rearrangements caused by TEs via illegitimate recombination is by far the main threat they pose to genome integrity. As a result, many organisms use epigenetic control, via DNA/histone methylation, to tame TEs because the ensuing heterochromatin is recalcitrant to recombination. How are active TEs initially detected by their hosts, how is their genomic proliferation arrested and DNA/histone methylation deposited specifically on their genomes; what are the long term - often paradoxically beneficial - consequences of this epigenetic silencing for the host will be addressed in this course, using the plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system.

Content

The course will cover many aspects of TE biology by following the fate of an epigenetically reactivated, single-copy retro-element of Arabidopsis called ÉVADÉ (EVD). EVD’s reactivation will be confirmed by methylation analysis of its Long-terminal repeat (LTR) promoter using bisulfite sequencing. We will then follow EVD’s proliferation in the Arabidopsis genome by quantifying its copy number over multiple inbred generations using quantitative PCR analyses. We will see how, when this number reaches a critical figure of 40-45, all copies of EVD become simultaneously silenced by LTR-derived silencing sRNAs, which we will quantify and map using Illumina deep-sequencing data. We will finally see the consequences of these successive events.

Resources

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
graded semester performance
Students are obliged to be present throughout the block course.Cancellation: If you have to deregister from a course that has been assigned to you (just emergency reasons), please notify in written the course coordinator at least four weeks before the course starts, for courses in the 1st quarter, a cancellation period of one week applies. The study secretariat D-BIOL must also be informed (email CC [email protected]) so that the enrollment is deleted. Otherwise the course is considered as "failed".

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
practical/laboratory course Transposable Elements
Permission from lecturers required for all students. Block course in the 4th quarter of the spring semester.
  • Tue 12:45-16:30 (HIT F 13)
  • Wed 07:45-16:30 (HIT F 13)
  • Thu 07:45-16:30 (HIT F 13)
  • Fri 07:45-16:30 (HIT F 13)
100 h semesterly

Offered In