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

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

5.9K
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...
5.9K
DNA-only Transposons02:57

DNA-only Transposons

14.3K
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...
14.3K
Overview of Transposition and Recombination02:13

Overview of Transposition and Recombination

15.1K
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...
15.1K
LTR Retrotransposons03:08

LTR Retrotransposons

17.3K
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...
17.3K
Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

Non-LTR Retrotransposons

11.3K
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...
11.3K
Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming01:14

Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming

1.9K
Nuclear reprogramming is the process of switching gene expression of one cell type to that of another cell type, usually from a differentiated cell state to an undifferentiated cell state. Differentiation occurs during processes such as development and morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and malignancy. Cells can also be artificially induced to reprogram their gene expression by techniques such as nuclear transfer, induced pluripotency, and cell fusion. Such techniques have many applications in...
1.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Structure-guided development of a potent human B<sup>0</sup>AT1 inhibitor effective in a mouse model of phenylketonuria.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Structural mechanism of SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP<sub>2</sub> synthesis by the type III-D2 CRISPR effector complex.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Structure and engineering of the large serine recombinase Bxb1 for gene integration.

Molecular cell·2026
Same author

A Multimodal Framework for Organ- and Cell-Resolved Biological Aging and Longevity Intervention Discovery.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Coordinated RNA- and protein-templated synthesis of double-stranded DNA by a dual reverse transcriptase immune system.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Engineering a compact high-fidelity Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 variant with broader targeting range and mechanistic insights into its activation.

Nature communications·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2025

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression
08:54

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

7.0K

Reprogramming site-specific retrotransposon activity to new DNA sites.

Christopher W Fell1,2,3,4, Lukas Villiger4, Justin Lim4

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Engineering in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Nature
|April 9, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Researchers engineered a new system called STITCHR for precise, scarless genome editing. This retroelement-based tool allows efficient insertion of genetic material at targeted locations in both dividing and non-dividing cells.

More Related Videos

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
11:52

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level

Published on: April 23, 2016

8.3K
Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites
09:31

Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites

Published on: March 22, 2016

17.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2025

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression
08:54

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

7.0K
Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
11:52

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level

Published on: April 23, 2016

8.3K
Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites
09:31

Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites

Published on: March 22, 2016

17.5K

Area of Science:

  • Genomics and Molecular Biology
  • Retrotransposon Biology
  • Gene Editing Technologies

Background:

  • Non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons are key drivers of eukaryotic genome evolution.
  • These mobile genetic elements often integrate into specific repetitive genomic regions.
  • The precise targeting mechanisms and limitations of retrotransposons remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discover and characterize new site-specific retrotransposon families.
  • To investigate the insertion preferences and retargeting potential of retrotransposons.
  • To engineer a novel platform for precise and scarless genomic integration.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a computational pipeline to identify novel retrotransposon families.
  • Performed biochemical and cellular profiling of identified retrotransposon members.
  • Engineered a retrotransposon-CRISPR fusion system (STITCHR) for targeted insertion.

Main Results:

  • Discovered new site-specific retrotransposon families with novel insertion preferences.
  • Successfully retargeted an R2 retrotransposon (R2Tg) for scarless insertion of payloads.
  • Developed STITCHR, enabling efficient, scarless installation of edits up to 12.7 kb, gene replacement, and RNA template use.

Conclusions:

  • STITCHR represents a versatile platform for scarless, programmable genome engineering.
  • The system demonstrates potential for applications in both research and therapeutic settings.
  • This approach leverages the natural prevalence of non-LTR retrotransposons for advanced gene editing.