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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Transposition and Recombination02:13

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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 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.
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Transposons01:24

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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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Non-LTR Retrotransposons03:18

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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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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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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
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Coexistence versus collapse in transposon populations.

Aria Yom1, Nathan E Lewis2

  • 1University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, USA and Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

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Summary

Transposons form intracellular ecosystems. A new model shows these ecosystems collapse when transposons replicate faster than their parasites, suggesting low replication rates maintain stability.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Transposons, mobile genetic elements, are ubiquitous in genomes.
  • Intracellular ecosystems can form when one transposon parasitizes another.
  • The dynamics and stability of these transposon ecosystems are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a stochastic model for transposon intracellular ecosystems.
  • To identify conditions leading to the stability or collapse of these ecosystems.
  • To understand the factors influencing transposon replication rates in natural systems.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a stochastic mathematical model simulating transposon-parasite interactions.
  • Analysis of model parameters to identify critical transitions in ecosystem dynamics.
  • Comparison of model predictions with existing data on natural transposon populations.

Main Results:

  • A critical transition point was identified where ecosystem stability shifts to population collapse.
  • This collapse occurs when a transposon's replication propensity exceeds that of its parasites.
  • The model predicts low replication rates for transposons at ecological equilibrium.

Conclusions:

  • Transposon replication rates are a key factor in the stability of intracellular ecosystems.
  • Parasite-host replication dynamics determine whether transposon communities thrive or collapse.
  • The findings provide a framework for understanding transposon evolution and genome dynamics.