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Related Concept Videos

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
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...
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Creation of a Dense Transposon Insertion Library Using Bacterial Conjugation in Enterobacterial Strains Such As Escherichia Coli or Shigella flexneri
11:36

Creation of a Dense Transposon Insertion Library Using Bacterial Conjugation in Enterobacterial Strains Such As Escherichia Coli or Shigella flexneri

Published on: September 23, 2017

Tn552, a novel transposable element from Staphylococcus aureus.

S J Rowland1, K G Dyke

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK.

Molecular Microbiology
|June 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

The Staphylococcus aureus transposon Tn552 possesses unique transposition functions, including a co-integrate resolution system, a transposase similar to retroviral integrases, and an ATP-binding protein homologous to phage Mu. These elements contribute to its mobility and integration into bacterial genomes.

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Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
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Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing

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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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Creation of a Dense Transposon Insertion Library Using Bacterial Conjugation in Enterobacterial Strains Such As Escherichia Coli or Shigella flexneri
11:36

Creation of a Dense Transposon Insertion Library Using Bacterial Conjugation in Enterobacterial Strains Such As Escherichia Coli or Shigella flexneri

Published on: September 23, 2017

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
08:19

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing

Published on: July 7, 2020

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

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Transposons are mobile genetic elements that play a significant role in bacterial genome evolution and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
  • Staphylococcus aureus harbors various beta-lactamase-encoding transposons, with Tn552 being a notable example due to its unique functional components.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the novel transposition functions encoded by the Staphylococcus aureus transposon Tn552.
  • To elucidate the homology and potential mechanisms of Tn552's transposition machinery by comparing its components to known mobile genetic elements.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis to identify putative transposition functions within Tn552.
  • Comparative sequence analysis to determine homologies with known mobile genetic elements (e.g., Tn3 family, retroviruses, retrotransposons, phage Mu).
  • In vivo experiments to assess the co-integrate resolution activity of the presumptive resolvase (BinL).

Main Results:

  • Tn552 encodes a co-integrate resolution system (resL-binL) homologous to Tn3 elements, a transposase (p480) similar to retroviral integrases, and an ATP-binding protein (p271) related to phage Mu's B protein.
  • The 3' terminal nucleotides of Tn552 (CA) share similarities with retroviruses, retrotransposons, and phage Mu, suggesting a conserved cleavage mechanism.
  • The resolvase BinL, closely related to DNA invertase BinR, demonstrated in vivo co-integrate resolution activity. The structure of Tn552 derivatives in plasmid pI258 is explained by BinL-mediated site-specific deletion.

Conclusions:

  • Tn552 possesses a unique combination of transposition functions with homologies to diverse mobile genetic elements, indicating a mosaic origin or convergent evolution.
  • The BinL/BinR system plays a crucial role in Tn552's resolution and potential integration/excision mechanisms, contributing to its genetic plasticity.
  • The study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of transposition in Staphylococcus aureus and the evolution of mobile genetic elements.