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...
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...
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...
Transgenic Plants02:50

Transgenic 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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Deciphering the dynamics of active autonomous terminal inverted repeat transposons in the plant kingdom.

aBIOTECH·2026
Same author

Drought-induced circular RNAs in maize roots: Separating signal from noise.

Plant physiology·2024
Same author

Heritable changes of epialleles near genes in maize can be triggered in the absence of CHH methylation.

Plant physiology·2023
Same author

Heritable changes of epialleles in maize can be triggered in the absence of DNA methylation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2023
Same author

ANTHRACNOSE RESISTANCE GENE2 confers fungal resistance in sorghum.

The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology·2022
Same author

Conserved noncoding sequences and de novo Mutator insertion alleles are imprinted in maize.

Plant physiology·2022
Same journal

Genetic origins and constraints of evolutionary innovation.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same journal

Single-cell four-omics with CHARM.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same journal

Molecular integration of seasonal temperature signals in flowering time control.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same journal

RBPscan measures protein-RNA interactions in living cells.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same journal

Revisiting retinal and macular degeneration in the genomics era.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same journal

How evolution builds three morphs from one genome.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 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

How important are transposons for plant evolution?

Damon Lisch1

  • 1Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. dlisch@berkeley.edu

Nature Reviews. Genetics
|December 19, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transposable elements drive plant evolution by altering gene expression and function. New genomic and phenomic tools help assess their role in plant adaptation and evolution.

More Related Videos

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

Transposon-insertion Sequencing as a Tool to Elucidate Bacterial Colonization Factors in a Burkholderia gladioli Symbiont of Lagria villosa Beetles
09:55

Transposon-insertion Sequencing as a Tool to Elucidate Bacterial Colonization Factors in a Burkholderia gladioli Symbiont of Lagria villosa Beetles

Published on: August 12, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 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

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

Transposon-insertion Sequencing as a Tool to Elucidate Bacterial Colonization Factors in a Burkholderia gladioli Symbiont of Lagria villosa Beetles
09:55

Transposon-insertion Sequencing as a Tool to Elucidate Bacterial Colonization Factors in a Burkholderia gladioli Symbiont of Lagria villosa Beetles

Published on: August 12, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
  • Plant Science
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences known to induce genetic variation.
  • TE activity is hypothesized to be a significant driver of adaptive evolution in plants.
  • Understanding TE-mediated changes is crucial for plant breeding and evolution studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the types of genetic and functional changes caused by transposable elements in plants.
  • To discuss the evidence supporting the contribution of TEs to plant evolution.
  • To propose future research directions for assessing TE impact on plant adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review synthesizing decades of research on transposable elements.
  • Analysis of existing genomic and phenomic data across diverse plant species.
  • Identification of key studies demonstrating TE-induced changes in gene expression and function.

Main Results:

  • Transposable elements cause diverse alterations in plant gene expression, regulation, and function.
  • Evidence suggests TEs have contributed to phenotypic variation and adaptation in plant populations.
  • Genomic and phenomic advancements enable systematic evaluation of TE roles in evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Transposable elements are potent sources of genetic innovation in plants.
  • Further research using advanced 'omics' technologies is needed to quantify TE contributions to adaptation.
  • Harnessing TE activity could offer new avenues for crop improvement and understanding evolutionary processes.