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...
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...
piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs02:57

piRNA - Piwi-interacting RNAs

PIWI-interacting RNAs, or piRNAs, are the most abundant short non-coding RNAs. More than 20,000 genes have been found in humans that code for piRNAs while only 2000 genes have been found for miRNAs. piRNAs can act at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and have a vital role in silencing transposable elements present in germ cells. They are also involved in epigenetic silencing and activation. Previously, they were thought to function only in germ cells but new evidence suggests...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Transcriptional interference drives intronic polyadenylation at the endogenous H13/Mcts2 locus.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Putative Imprinting Control Regions with Aberrant Blood-Based DNA Methylation are Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk.

Journal of hepatocellular carcinoma·2026
Same author

The Future of Obesity Care: Exploring Synergies Between Metabolic Bariatric Surgery, Interventional Endoscopy and Pharmacotherapy.

Obesity surgery·2026
Same author

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas harbour tumour-initiating SOX2+ stem cells.

Endocrine-related cancer·2026
Same author

Cadmium exposure during adolescence and young adulthood induces signatures of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Environmental Contaminants, Iron Deficiency, and Iron-Deficiency Anemia: A Review of the Literature.

Scientifica·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 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 re-wire and fine-tune the transcriptome.

Michael Cowley1, Rebecca J Oakey

  • 1Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

Plos Genetics
|January 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transposable elements (TEs), or the mobilome, significantly impact genomes by increasing genetic variation and transcript diversity. These elements play roles in gene regulation, network evolution, and the development of new physiological processes.

More Related Videos

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery
07:49

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

Published on: May 30, 2025

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing
10:01

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Published on: September 19, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 14, 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

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery
07:49

CRISPR Epigenome Editing in Human Cells using Plasmid DNA Transfection and mRNA Nucleofection Delivery

Published on: May 30, 2025

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing
10:01

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Published on: September 19, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Genomics and Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation and Expression

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences within genomes.
  • While TEs can cause genomic instability and disease, they are also a significant source of genetic variation.
  • Their collective activity is referred to as the mobilome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the impact of transposable elements on the transcriptome.
  • To explore the contribution of TEs, particularly retrotransposons, to transcript diversity.
  • To discuss the role of the mobilome in gene regulation, transcriptional networks, and evolutionary processes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on transposable elements and their effects on gene expression.
  • Analysis of retrotransposons as a source of transcript diversity.
  • Examination of small RNAs derived from TEs in regulating host gene transcription.

Main Results:

  • Transposable elements contribute significantly to transcript diversity.
  • Retrotransposons are key players in generating novel transcripts.
  • TE-derived small RNAs can regulate host gene transcription.
  • The mobilome plays a role in engineering transcriptional networks for coordinated gene expression.

Conclusions:

  • Transposable elements are crucial drivers of genomic variation and transcript diversity.
  • The mobilome influences gene regulation and facilitates the evolution of novel physiological functions.
  • Understanding TE impact is vital for comprehending genome evolution and host-pathogen interactions.