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...
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...
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
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...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A comprehensive safety evaluation of approved 2'-fucosyllactose for human nutritional applications in China.

Frontiers in toxicology·2026
Same author

miR-4485-5p regulates the progression of periodontitis by targeting CDK9.

Odontology·2026
Same author

Nighttime Organic Nitrates Drive New Particle Formation and Aerosol Growth in Urban Beijing.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Application of tubeless mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy under local anesthesia and lateral position in ambulatory surgery: a pilot feasibility study.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Rational design and modification strategies for pitch-derived carbon anodes for use in sodium-ion batteries.

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

Heterogeneous impacts of work-family conflict on workforce mental health: evidence from the differential effects of work-to-family and family-to-work conflict.

Frontiers in public health·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 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

Transposable elements as catalysts for chromosome rearrangements.

Jianbo Zhang1, Chuanhe Yu, Lakshminarasimhan Krishnaswamy

  • 1Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology and Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|December 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Transposable elements, or transposons, can cause significant chromosomal rearrangements. Researchers are now understanding and utilizing these mobile genetic elements to manipulate chromosome structure.

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

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
09:40

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: September 23, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 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

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
09:40

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: September 23, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences capable of altering an organism's genome.
  • Barbara McClintock's pioneering work demonstrated TEs' role in inducing chromosomal rearrangements in maize.
  • Recent research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying TE-induced genome rearrangements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which transposons induce genome rearrangements.
  • To explore the potential of utilizing transposable elements for chromosome structure manipulation.

Main Methods:

  • Investigating the Ac/Ds transposable element system in maize.
  • Analyzing transposition reactions involving the termini of different elements.
  • Examining the influence of transposon insertion site and orientation on rearrangement outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Alternative transposition reactions, using element termini as substrates, directly generate various rearrangements.
  • The size and type of rearrangements are contingent upon transposon insertion location and orientation.
  • A single locus with paired alternative transposition-competent elements can yield numerous genome rearrangements.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding TE mechanisms enables their application in manipulating chromosome structure.
  • Both natural and engineered TE configurations can be leveraged for targeted chromosomal alterations.
  • Transposon-mediated genome engineering holds promise for future genetic research and applications.