ABSTRACT
Transposable elements (TE’s) were fi rst identifi ed in maize (Zea mays) by Barbara McClintock and later, many other TEs have been detected not only in maize but also in a number of different plant species, including Anthirrhinum and Arabidopsis (Döring and Starlinger 1986, Gierl and Saedler 1992). Today it is well accepted that transposons represent a more or less large fraction of the DNA in plant species, and their role during evolution is still under discussion (Fedoroff 2000). A detailed molecular analysis of TEs has led to a number of successful gene isolations in these species after following a gene-tagging protocol (Walbot 1992). The application of transposable elements could be also extended to species containing none or only weakly characterized endogeneous TE’s.
