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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Transposition and Recombination02:13

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

Transposons make up a significant part of genomes of various organisms. Therefore, it is believed that transposition played a major evolutionary role in speciation by changing genome sizes and modifying gene expression patterns. For example, in bacteria, transposition can lead to conferring antibiotic resistance. Movement of transposable elements within the genetic pool of pathogenic bacteria can aid in transfer of antibiotic-resistant genetic elements. In eukaryotes, transposons can carry out...
LTR Retrotransposons03:08

LTR Retrotransposons

LTR retrotransposons are class I transposable elements with long terminal repeats flanking an internal coding region. These elements are less abundant in mammals compared to other class I transposable elements. About 8 percent of human genomic DNA comprises LTR retrotransposons. Some of the common examples of LTR retrotransposons are Ty elements in yeast and Copia elements in Drosophila.
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
Transposons01:24

Transposons

Transposons, or "jumping genes," are small mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that range from 700 to 40,000 base pairs in length. They are found in all organisms and can move within the same chromosome or transfer to different chromosomes. In some cases, transposons can also jump between different host DNA molecules, such as plasmids or viruses, contributing to genetic variability.Barbara McClintock first discovered these mobile genetic elements in the 1940s while studying maize genetics, and she...
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...

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Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
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Published on: January 20, 2023

Revised nomenclature for transposable genetic elements.

Adam P Roberts1, Michael Chandler, Patrice Courvalin

  • 1Division of Microbial Diseases, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK. aroberts@eastman.ucl.ac.uk

Plasmid
|September 10, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A new nomenclature system for prokaryotic transposable elements is proposed. This system facilitates naming new and mosaic elements, ensuring consistency across bacterial discoveries and metagenomic studies.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Microbiology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Transposable DNA elements are ubiquitous in prokaryotic genomes.
  • Existing nomenclature for transposable elements is outdated and not readily accessible online.
  • Many newly discovered elements are named without adherence to established systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an updated, uniform nomenclature system for prokaryotic, autonomous transposable elements (excluding insertion sequences).
  • To provide a framework for naming novel and mosaic transposable elements.
  • To ensure nomenclature stability despite ongoing bacterial taxonomy revisions.

Main Methods:

  • Review and update the original 1970s transposable element nomenclature proposal.
  • Develop an inclusive and sequential numbering system (Tn system).
  • Incorporate principles for naming mosaic elements composed of segments from multiple known transposons or plasmids.

Main Results:

  • A revised, sequential Tn numbering system for prokaryotic transposable elements is presented.
  • The proposed system accommodates the naming of mosaic elements.
  • The nomenclature is designed to be stable against future bacterial taxonomic changes.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed nomenclature system offers a standardized approach for naming prokaryotic transposable elements.
  • This system facilitates the consistent identification and study of mobile genetic elements.
  • It addresses the challenges posed by new discoveries in genomics and metagenomics.