The contribution of transposable elements to the evolution of regulatory networks

The control and coordination of eukaryotic gene expression rely on transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulatory networks. Although progress has been made in mapping the components and deciphering the function of these networks, the mechanisms by which such intricate circuits originate and evolve remain poorly understood. Here I revisit and expand earlier models proposing that genomic repeats, and in particular transposable elements, have been a rich source of material for the assembly and tinkering of eukaryotic gene regulatory systems.