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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...
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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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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.
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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.
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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...
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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 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 element invasions.

Elizabeth H B Hellen1, John F Y Brookfield

  • 1Centre for Genetics and Genomics; School of Biology; University of Nottingham; Nottingham, UK.

Mobile Genetic Elements
|June 5, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

DNA transposons in mammals follow a "life cycle" model, not continuous turnover. Their shared ancestry dates back to an initial amplification event after entering the mammalian genome, not ongoing creation and loss.

Keywords:
class IIevolutionmammalsmolecular datingtransposons

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Last Updated: May 10, 2026

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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

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Evolution
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) engage in a dynamic, often parasitic relationship with host genomes.
  • Understanding the evolutionary timescale of TE-host interactions is crucial for deciphering genome evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary dynamics of class II DNA transposons in mammalian genomes.
  • To differentiate between continuous TE turnover and a distinct amplification-driven

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics analysis of DNA transposon sequences across mammalian genomes.
  • Estimation of time to common ancestry based on sequence divergence within TE families.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to determine the initial entry time of TE families into mammalian orders.

Main Results:

  • Sequence divergence data supports a

Conclusions:

  • The