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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
04:04
Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
Published on: January 20, 2023
A triptych of the evolution of plant transposable elements
Maud I Tenaillon1, Jesse D Hollister, Brandon S Gaut
1CNRS, UMR 0320/UMR8120 Génétique Végétale, F-91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Trends in Plant Science
|June 15, 2010
Summary
Transposable elements (TEs) make up most of angiosperm DNA. This study explores the three key forces—transposition, deletion, and population dynamics—that control TE accumulation and their evolutionary outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Transposable elements (TEs) comprise the majority of DNA in angiosperms.
- The mechanisms driving TE accumulation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the primary forces regulating transposable element (TE) accumulation in angiosperms.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of transposition, deletion, and population processes influencing TE dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing literature on TE dynamics.
- Conceptual framework development (triptych model) to integrate different forces.
- Analysis of host- and TE-specific regulatory mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Transposition introduces new TE copies, subject to host and TE controls.
- Deletion processes remove TE DNA via recombination, with poorly understood inter-species variation.
- Population processes critically determine the long-term evolutionary trajectory of TE insertions.
Conclusions:
- Understanding TE accumulation requires integrating transposition, deletion, and population genetics.
- Further research is needed to clarify the variation and interplay of these forces across species and TE types.
Related Concept Videos
02:13Overview 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...
02:57DNA-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...
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
03:08LTR 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...
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
01:24Transposons
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...
03:18Non-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...
02:50Transgenic Plants
Recombinant DNA technology called transgenesis is often used to add a foreign gene or remove a detrimental gene from an organism. Such genetically modified organisms are called transgenic organisms.
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...