Alu repeats

From EvoWiki

An Alu sequence is a short stretch of DNA originally characterized by the action of the Alu restriction endonuclease. Alu sequences of different kinds occur in large numbers in primate genomes. In fact, Alu sequences are the most abundant mobile elements in the human genome. They are derived from the small cytoplasmic 7SL RNA, a component of the signal recognition particle. The event, when a copy of the 7SL RNA became a precursor of the Alu sequence, took place in the genome of an ancestor of supraprimates^[1].

Alu insertions have been implicated in several inherited human diseases, including various forms of cancer, as discussed later in this article.

The study of Alu sequences has also been important in elucidating human population genetics and the evolution of primates, including the evolution of humans. The Alu endonuclease is so-named because it was isolated from Arthrobacter luteus.

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