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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Transposition and Recombination02:13

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

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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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DNA-only Transposons02:57

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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...
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LTR Retrotransposons03:08

LTR Retrotransposons

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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...
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Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

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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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Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

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Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
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Transposons01:24

Transposons

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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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Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
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Evolutionary transitions in individuality: insights from transposable elements.

J Arvid Ågren1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|November 21, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary transitions in individuality involve units forming larger wholes. Studying transposable elements offers new insights into preventing lower-level selfishness from disrupting higher-level functions in evolution.

Keywords:
genetic conflictsindividualitylevels of selectionmajor transitionssocial evolution

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Life's history shows transitions in individuality, where smaller units aggregate into larger functional wholes.
  • Understanding these transitions requires identifying mechanisms that suppress selfish behavior at lower levels.
  • Transposable elements (TEs) are known genome-level disruptors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review research on transposable elements within the evolutionary transitions in individuality framework.
  • To highlight the potential of transposon data for understanding individuality evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of transposable element research.
  • Application of the evolutionary transitions in individuality framework.

Main Results:

  • Transposable elements represent a significant challenge to the stability of higher levels of individuality.
  • Whole-genome sequencing provides extensive data on transposon activity.

Conclusions:

  • The evolutionary transitions framework can be enriched by studying transposable elements.
  • Transposon data is a valuable resource for investigating the evolution of individuality.