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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

DNA-only Transposons

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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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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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Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression02:35

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Chromatin is the massive complex of DNA and proteins packaged inside the nucleus. The complexity of chromatin folding and how it is packaged inside the nucleus greatly influences  access to genetic information. Generally, the nucleus' periphery is considered transcriptionally repressive, while the cell's interior is considered a transcriptionally active area. 
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
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LTR Retrotransposons03:08

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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.
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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
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Species-specific chromatin landscape determines how transposable elements shape genome evolution.

Yuheng Huang1, Harsh Shukla1, Yuh Chwen G Lee1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States.

Elife
|August 23, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transposable elements (TEs) spread repressive epigenetic marks, impacting genome evolution. This "epigenetic effect" varies by species, influencing TE abundance and host chromatin regulation.

Keywords:
D. melanogasterchromatinepigeneticsevolutionary biologygenome evolutionheterochromatinpopulation geneticstransposable element

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary genomics
  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular biology

Background:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic sequences that can affect host genome stability and evolution.
  • TE abundance varies significantly across species, a phenomenon not fully explained by current models.
  • Previous hypotheses suggest epigenetic silencing of TEs by hosts may inadvertently affect neighboring genomic regions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of TE-mediated epigenetic effects in determining species-specific TE abundance.
  • To compare the prevalence and impact of TE-mediated repressive mark spreading across species in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup.
  • To understand the interplay between host chromatin regulation, TE activity, and natural selection in shaping TE genomic loads.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics analysis across six Drosophila species.
  • Epigenetic profiling to map repressive marks.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to correlate epigenetic effects with TE abundance and selection pressures.

Main Results:

  • TE-mediated local enrichment of repressive marks is widespread and highly variable within and between species.
  • This epigenetic effect alters the epigenetic states of adjacent genes.
  • Neighboring gene transcription reciprocally influences the spreading of repressive marks.

Conclusions:

  • Host chromatin landscapes play a crucial role in shaping genome evolution via TE-mediated epigenetic effects.
  • The interplay between host epigenetic regulation, TE activity, and selection determines species-specific TE abundance.
  • Understanding these dynamics is key to deciphering the evolutionary success of selfish genetic elements.