Alu elements
are a short extension of DNA, classified as SINEs (Short INterspersed Elements),
originally characterized by the action of the Alu restriction endonuclease.
They are the most abundant mobile elements in the human genome, what make them
an example of a "jumping gene", more exactly retrotransposons.
An Alu element
has an independent transcription because it is transcribed into mRNA by RNA
polymerase III and then converted into a double-stranded DNA molecule by a
reverse transcriptase. The new double-stranded DNA molecule is then inserted
into a new location in the genome.
The study of these
elements is important to understand human population genetics and the evolution
of primates and humans.
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