Target site selection in transposition
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Updated: Nov 1, 2026

Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Location(s) for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
Published on: September 11, 2017
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Abstract:
Transposable elements are discrete mobile DNA segments that can insert into non-homologous target sites. Diverse patterns of target site selectivity are observed: Some elements display considerable target site selectivity and others display little obvious selectivity, although none appears to be truly "random." A variety of mechanisms for target site selection are used: Some elements use direct interactions between the recombinase and target DNA whereas other elements depend upon interactions with accessory proteins that communicate both with the target DNA and the recombinase. The study of target site selectivity is useful in probing recombination mechanisms, in studying genome structure and function, and also in providing tools for genome manipulation.
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