Activation of plant retrotransposons under stress conditions

Activation of retrotransposons by stresses and external change is common in all eukaryotes, including plants, The transcriptional activation of several well-characterized plant retrotransposons seems to be tightly linked to molecular pathways activated by stress, and activation is under the control of cis-regulatory sequences strikingly similar to those of plant defence genes. These regulatory sequences are highly variable, suggesting that retrotransposons could evolve through modification of their regulatory features, As the molecular basis for their regulation is becoming better understood, it is possible to begin to assess the putative biological impact of this stress response.