Bacteria and Archaea Group II introns: additional mobile genetic elements in the environment
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Screening Foodstuffs for Class 1 Integrons and Gene Cassettes
Published on: June 19, 2015
1Grupo de Ecología Genética, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 18008, Granada, Spain. ntoro@eez.csic.es
Abstract:
Self-splicing group II introns are present in the organelles of lower eukaryotes, plants and Bacteria and have been found recently in Archaea. It is generally accepted that group II introns originated in bacteria before spreading to mitochondria and chloroplasts. These introns are thought to be related to the progenitors of spliceosomal introns. Group II introns are also mobile genetic elements. In bacteria, they appear to spread using either other mobile genetic elements or low-expression regions as target sites. Bacteria and Archaea genome sequence annotations have revealed the diversity of group II intron classes and that they are involved in vertical and horizontal inheritance.
Related Concept Videos
Viruses of Archaea
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
Diversity of Protists I
Transposons
Overview of Archaea
Diversity of Archaea II

