In a recent net Arlin Stoltzfus addressed some of the issues that have been
disscussed regarding selfish DNA/genes and mentioned transposable elements
as an example that is in the literature. I don't really have anything to add
except to point out a set of papers by Trudy Mackay et al. on the effect of
transposable (in this case P elements) DNA on fitness in Drosophila. The
most recent of these is in Genetics, 1992 130(2):315-32. I found them to be
interesting (the others are referenced in the above paper I think) and
perhaps pertinent to the selfish gene discussions on this net.
Bruce Elder
elder at cgl.ucsf.edu
