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

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...
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...
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...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

ZCCHC3 is a stress granule zinc knuckle protein that strongly suppresses LINE-1 retrotransposition.

PLoS genetics·2023
Same author

Author Correction: Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes identifies driver rearrangements promoted by LINE-1 retrotransposition.

Nature genetics·2023
Same author

Reflections on the history of genetic medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

American journal of medical genetics. Part A·2021
Same author

A Long, Fulfilling Career in Human Genetics.

Annual review of genomics and human genetics·2021
Same author

Striking heterogeneity of somatic L1 retrotransposition in single normal and cancerous gastrointestinal cells.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2020
Same author

A long-term study of AAV gene therapy in dogs with hemophilia A identifies clonal expansions of transduced liver cells.

Nature biotechnology·2020
Same journal

Network-based machine learning to identify biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus.

BMC biology·2026
Same journal

Circular RNA dynamics in breast-to-brain metastatic cascade.

BMC biology·2026
Same journal

Genetic divergence in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes potentially associated with enhanced capacity for arbovirus transmission.

BMC biology·2026
Same journal

Phylogenetic analysis and machine learning identify signatures of selection and predict deleterious mutations in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

BMC biology·2026
Same journal

Global stabilization of the mitochondrial proteome is associated with extreme anoxia tolerance in Austrofundulus limnaeus WS40NE cells.

BMC biology·2026
Same journal

An endogenous viral element of Aedes albopictus is translated and limits cognate virus.

BMC biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Transposon Mediated Integration of Plasmid DNA into the Subventricular Zone of Neonatal Mice to Generate Novel Models of Glioblastoma
10:58

Transposon Mediated Integration of Plasmid DNA into the Subventricular Zone of Neonatal Mice to Generate Novel Models of Glioblastoma

Published on: February 22, 2015

Mobile DNA transposition in somatic cells.

Haig H Kazazian1

  • 1Institute for Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. kazazian@jhmi.edu

BMC Biology
|October 1, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Somatic cells can host mobile DNA element insertions. A study in Mobile DNA shows the R2 retrotransposon inserting into ribosomal DNA in Drosophila embryos, supporting transposition in somatic cells.

More Related Videos

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
07:49

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: March 17, 2023

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: May 29, 2026

Transposon Mediated Integration of Plasmid DNA into the Subventricular Zone of Neonatal Mice to Generate Novel Models of Glioblastoma
10:58

Transposon Mediated Integration of Plasmid DNA into the Subventricular Zone of Neonatal Mice to Generate Novel Models of Glioblastoma

Published on: February 22, 2015

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines
07:49

Transmitochondrial Cybrid Generation Using Cancer Cell Lines

Published on: March 17, 2023

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
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Traditionally, mobile DNA element insertions were thought to occur almost exclusively during germ-cell development.
  • Recent findings suggest that transposition events are also prevalent in somatic cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide further evidence for transposition occurring in somatic cells.
  • To investigate the somatic transposition of the site-specific retrotransposon R2 in Drosophila embryos.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of transposition events in Drosophila embryos.
  • Focus on the R2 retrotransposon and its insertion into 28S ribosomal DNA.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated somatic transposition of the R2 retrotransposon.
  • Confirmed insertion into the specific 28S ribosomal DNA site within Drosophila embryos.

Conclusions:

  • The study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting transposition in somatic cells.
  • Highlights the R2 retrotransposon as an example of site-specific mobile DNA elements active during somatic development.