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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...
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...
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...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...

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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 introns: evolutionary connections.

M D Purugganan1

  • 1Michael Purugganan is at the Dept of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transposable elements can act as introns within nuclear genes, generating new splicing patterns. This research reveals their role in gene structure evolution and regulatory interactions.

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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

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
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Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level

Published on: April 23, 2016

RNA Next-Generation Sequencing and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Identify Expressed LINE-1s at the Locus-Specific Level
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RNA Next-Generation Sequencing and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Identify Expressed LINE-1s at the Locus-Specific Level

Published on: May 19, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Transposable elements are mobile genetic sequences.
  • Gene structure and regulation are crucial for biological function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of transposable elements in gene structure evolution.
  • To explore how transposable elements influence intron processing and alternative splicing.
  • To understand the impact of transposable elements on regulatory interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular genetic analysis
  • Gene sequencing
  • Intron-exon boundary analysis

Main Results:

  • Transposable elements can be integrated into nuclear genes and function as introns.
  • These insertions lead to novel intron processing and alternative splicing patterns.
  • Transposable element insertions contribute to the evolution of gene structure and regulatory networks.

Conclusions:

  • Transposable elements are significant drivers of evolutionary innovation in gene structure.
  • Their insertion into genes can create new splicing mechanisms and regulatory interactions.
  • Understanding these dynamics offers insights into the evolution of mobile genetic sequences.