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

19.6K
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...
19.6K
Transduction01:16

Transduction

2.0K
Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome...
2.0K
Transposons01:24

Transposons

2.2K
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...
2.2K
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

17.6K
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...
17.6K
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

13.5K
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...
13.5K
LTR Retrotransposons03:08

LTR Retrotransposons

19.9K
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...
19.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Transposable elements as catalysts of evolutionary innovation.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same author

Multiomic analysis of ART-interruption cohorts identifies cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic mechanisms driving lymphocyte-mediated control of HIV rebound.

Immunity·2026
Same author

Endogenous retroviral elements LTR8B and MER65 rewire PSG9 regulation to control trophoblast syncytialization and pre-eclampsia risk.

Genome biology·2026
Same author

EMBO Press co-evolves with molecular ecology and evolutionary biology.

The EMBO journal·2026
Same author

Temperature and genetic background drive mobilization of diverse transposable elements in a global human fungal pathogen.

PLoS genetics·2026
Same author

Pervasive <i>cis</i>-regulatory co-option of a transposable element family reinforces cell identity across the mouse immune system.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 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

2.8K

Transposable Element Domestication As an Adaptation to Evolutionary Conflicts.

Diwash Jangam1, Cédric Feschotte2, Esther Betrán1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.

Trends in Genetics : TIG
|August 29, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Transposable elements (TEs) are genetic units that can spread within genomes. Host organisms have repurposed TE proteins for defense against viruses and other invasive agents, mitigating the costs of TE proliferation.

Keywords:
adaptationevolutionary conflictstransposable element protein domestication

More Related Videos

Site-Directed &#966;C31-Mediated Integration and Cassette Exchange in Anopheles Vectors of Malaria
09:38

Site-Directed φC31-Mediated Integration and Cassette Exchange in Anopheles Vectors of Malaria

Published on: February 2, 2021

4.6K
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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 24, 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

2.8K
Site-Directed &#966;C31-Mediated Integration and Cassette Exchange in Anopheles Vectors of Malaria
09:38

Site-Directed φC31-Mediated Integration and Cassette Exchange in Anopheles Vectors of Malaria

Published on: February 2, 2021

4.6K
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

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences that can replicate and insert themselves into new genomic locations.
  • TEs encode proteins essential for their own propagation and spread within host genomes.
  • The proliferation of TEs can impose significant costs on host organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the growing body of evidence for the "domestication" of transposable element (TE) proteins by host organisms.
  • To explore the role of domesticated TE proteins in host defense mechanisms.
  • To understand how TE protein co-option mitigates the negative impacts of TE activity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating transposable elements and host-TE interactions.
  • Analysis of evolutionary pathways involving the repurposing of TE-encoded proteins.
  • Examination of defense systems in prokaryotes and eukaryotes that utilize TE-derived proteins.

Main Results:

  • TE proteins have been frequently co-opted by host genomes as adaptive strategies.
  • Domesticated TE proteins are recurrently integrated into defense systems against infectious agents like viruses and other TEs.
  • This repurposing of TE proteins serves as a crucial mechanism for hosts to manage the detrimental effects of TE proliferation.

Conclusions:

  • The domestication of TE proteins represents a significant evolutionary adaptation for host organisms.
  • TE-derived proteins play a vital role in establishing robust defense mechanisms against genomic invaders.
  • Co-option of TE proteins is often the primary evolutionary route for hosts to counteract the costs associated with selfish genetic elements.