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

21.3K
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...
21.3K
Transposons01:24

Transposons

3.2K
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...
3.2K
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

18.8K
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...
18.8K
LTR Retrotransposons03:08

LTR Retrotransposons

20.6K
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...
20.6K
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

14.1K
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...
14.1K
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

7.4K
Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
7.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

UniDock-Pro: A Unified GPU-Accelerated Platform for High-Throughput Structure-Based, Ligand-Based, and Synergistic Hybrid Virtual Screening.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2026
Same author

SCORCH2: A Generalized Heterogeneous Consensus Model for High-Enrichment Interaction-Based Virtual Screening.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2025
Same author

CACHE Challenge #2: Targeting the RNA Site of the SARS-CoV-2 Helicase Nsp13.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2025
Same author

AutoDock-SS: AutoDock for Multiconformational Ligand-Based Virtual Screening.

Journal of chemical information and modeling·2024
Same author

From intuition to AI: evolution of small molecule representations in drug discovery.

Briefings in bioinformatics·2023
Same author

Fluorescence-resonance-energy-transfer-based assay to estimate modulation of TDP1 activity through arginine methylation.

STAR protocols·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
08:19

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing

Published on: July 7, 2020

11.6K

Structural Basis for the Inverted Repeat Preferences of mariner Transposases.

Maryia Trubitsyna1, Heather Grey2, Douglas R Houston2

  • 1From the Institute of Cell Biology and.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|April 15, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Mariner transposase activity depends on specific inverted repeat (IR) sequences. Researchers found that optimizing these DNA sequences enhances transposon function, revealing a key preference for adenine at the reactive 3' end.

Keywords:
DNA recombinationDNA transpositionDNA-protein interactionX-ray crystallographymolecular geneticsnucleic acid enzymologyphosphoryl transferstructural biology

More Related Videos

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Locations for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
11:12

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Locations for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach

Published on: September 11, 2017

8.0K
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

2.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
08:19

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing

Published on: July 7, 2020

11.6K
Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Locations for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
11:12

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Locations for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach

Published on: September 11, 2017

8.0K
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

2.9K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Mariner DNA transposons utilize inverted repeat (IR) sequences for transposition.
  • These IR sequences are often non-identical and exhibit varying affinities for their cognate transposase.
  • Understanding transposase-IR interactions is crucial for controlling transpositional activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the preferences of Mos1 and Mboumar-9 transposases for their imperfect IRs across transposition steps.
  • To elucidate the molecular basis for differential IR binding affinities.
  • To determine how IR sequence optimization impacts mariner DNA transposition efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of DNA binding, cleavage, and strand transfer efficiencies.
  • X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the Mos1 paired-end complex at 3.1 Å resolution.
  • In vitro DNA transposition assays with modified IR sequences.

Main Results:

  • The crystal structure revealed the molecular basis for Mos1's lower affinity for the left IR compared to the right IR.
  • Both Mos1 and Mboumar-9 exhibited maximal in vitro transposition efficiency when the preferred IR sequence was at both transposon ends.
  • Cleavage and strand transfer steps were more efficient with the preferred IR sequence.
  • Mboumar-9 transposition efficiency increased nearly 4-fold by changing the 3' base of its preferred IR from guanine to adenine.

Conclusions:

  • Transposase preference for specific IR sequences significantly influences DNA transposition efficiency.
  • The observed preference for adenine at the 3' end of the IR may be a conserved feature across mariner transposases.
  • Optimizing IR sequences offers a strategy to modulate mariner transposon activity.