DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are accidental lesions generated by various endogenous
or exogenous stresses. DSBs are also genetically programmed events during the V (D) J …

Ciliated protozoa undergo large-scale developmental rearrangement of their somatic
genomes when forming a new transcriptionally active macronucleus during conjugation …

In animal germlines, transposons are silenced at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional
level to prevent deleterious expression. Ciliates employ a more direct approach by …

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the fundamental concepts of DNA transposition
mechanisms. Our aim is to emphasize basic themes and, in this effort, we will focus on …

DNA transposons are defined segments of DNA that are able to move from one genomic
location to another. Movement is facilitated by one or more proteins, called the transposase …

Ciliates are a highly divergent group of unicellular eukaryotes with separate somatic and
germline genomes found in distinct dimorphic nuclei. This characteristic feature is tightly …

In vertebrates, double-strand breaks in DNA are primarily repaired by Non-Homologous End-
Joining (NHEJ). The ring-shaped Ku heterodimer rapidly senses and threads onto broken …

The domestication of transposable elements has repeatedly occurred during evolution and
domesticated transposases have often been implicated in programmed genome …

Ciliates belong to a monophyletic group of unicellular eukaryotes within the Alveolate
branch (1). The species that have been used as model organisms are free‐living organisms …

Background The 15 sibling species of the Paramecium aurelia cryptic species complex
emerged after a whole genome duplication that occurred tens of millions of years ago. Given …