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Overview
Henry Levin heads the Section on Eukaryotic Transposable Elements, which analyzes LTR retrotransposons and the integration of their cDNA into the chromosomes of host cells. Recently, the laboratory adapted methods of deep sequencing to determine the positions of retrotransposon Tf1 integration throughout the genome of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The data obtained provided a reproducible and saturating profile of integration activity for each intergenic sequence and gene-coding sequence. In other studies, the laboratory adapted the Hermes transposon from the housefly to generate maps, of unprecedented density, of integration in S. pombe. The profiles identify a comprehensive set of essential genes, but it is notable that nonessential genes important for robust cell growth are also identified by their intermediate levels of insertion.