Thomas Peterson

Complex chromosomal rearrangements induced by transposons in maize

The paper shows that transposon-induced rearrangements in maize can rapidly accumulate and increase genetic variation through complex alleles and enhancer copy number changes.

Transposon-induced inversions activate gene expression in Maize pericarp

The paper identifies transposon-induced chromosomal inversions that activate p2 gene expression in maize pericarp, leading to red kernel color.

Ectopic expression of a maize gene is induced by Composite Insertions generated by Alternative Transposition

This study shows that Ac/fAc transposable elements can generate Composite Insertions that activate gene expression by mobilizing enhancer elements from nearby genes.

siRNA-mediated de novo silencing of Ac/Ds transposons is initiated by alternative transposition in maize

The paper shows that alternative transposition generates inverted duplications that produce siRNAs, leading to heritable silencing of maize Ac/Ds transposons.

Benchmarking Transposable Element Annotation Methods for Creation of a Streamlined, Comprehensive Pipeline

The paper benchmarks TE annotation methods and develops a pipeline called EDTA to create a comprehensive, condensed TE library for both intact and fragmented elements in rice genomes.