Long term stability of a transgenic
genetic strain is desired if the strain is to be used
either as a laboratory stock (for example, for the generation
of other genetic strains) or as a strain developed
for mass-rearing and field release. It is therefore essential
that, for each species, and for each transposable element,
the genetic and biochemical basis for transposable
element stability and mobility be determined. This
necessitates a detailed survey for the presence of members
of each transposable element family in the target
species in question. These surveys can be structural in
nature—for example determining by southern hybridizations
or by PCR-based methods—whether or not transposable
element sequences are present in the genome.
Alternatively they can be based on function