Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

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...
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...
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...
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...
Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Platelet-leucocyte interactions drive MMP-mediated tissue damage in tuberculosis.

PLoS pathogens·2026
Same author

An Alternative DNA Endonuclease Activity is Associated with the LINE-1 ORF2-encoded Protein.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Streptococcus dentisani and Streptococcus mutans in dental biofilm of preschoolers with and without early childhood caries: a cross-sectional study.

European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry·2026
Same author

Reproducibility and accuracy of bacterial methylome profiling using Oxford Nanopore Technologies nanopore sequencing platform.

Microbial genomics·2025
Same author

Telomeric transposons are pervasive in linear bacterial genomes.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2025
Same author

Rapid whole genome characterization of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens using long-read sequencing to identify potential healthcare transmission.

Infection control and hospital epidemiology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
04:04

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity

Published on: January 20, 2023

Helicobacter Pylori's plasticity zones are novel transposable elements.

Dangeruta Kersulyte1, Wookon Lee, Dharmalingam Subramaniam

  • 1Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.

Plos One
|September 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Strain-specific genes in Helicobacter pylori, known as plasticity zones, are mobile genetic elements called transposable elements (TnPZs). These TnPZs influence bacterial growth and host immune response.

More Related Videos

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Location(s) for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
11:12

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Location(s) for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach

Published on: September 11, 2017

Generation of Enterobacter sp. YSU Auxotrophs Using Transposon Mutagenesis
13:31

Generation of Enterobacter sp. YSU Auxotrophs Using Transposon Mutagenesis

Published on: October 31, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
04:04

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity

Published on: January 20, 2023

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Location(s) for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
11:12

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Location(s) for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach

Published on: September 11, 2017

Generation of Enterobacter sp. YSU Auxotrophs Using Transposon Mutagenesis
13:31

Generation of Enterobacter sp. YSU Auxotrophs Using Transposon Mutagenesis

Published on: October 31, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Bacterial strain-specific genes significantly impact cellular traits and evolutionary potential.
  • The "plasticity zone" was initially identified as a gene-rich region in early Helicobacter pylori genome comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature and evolutionary mechanisms of bacterial plasticity zones.
  • To characterize these elements as mobile genetic units and assess their functional impact.

Main Methods:

  • Sequencing plasticity zones in multiple Helicobacter strains.
  • Identifying plasticity zone locations and analyzing their flanking sequences.
  • Comparative genomics to determine TnPZ types and evolutionary history.

Main Results:

  • Plasticity zones are discrete, mobile units termed transposable elements (TnPZs), inserted at various chromosomal locations and flanked by direct repeats.
  • Full-length TnPZs contain type IV secretion genes (tfs3), a tyrosine recombinase (xerT), and genes encoding helicase/DNA methylase proteins.
  • TnPZs are not essential for bacterial viability but can enhance growth during infection and modulate host cytokine production.

Conclusions:

  • Plasticity zone genes are located on conjugative transposons (TnPZs) or their remnants.
  • TnPZ insertion is facilitated by the XerT recombinase.
  • Certain TnPZ genes demonstrably influence bacterial phenotypes and fitness in host environments.