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Although these elements are frequently called jumping genes, they are always maintained in an integrated site in the genome. In addition, most transposons eventually become inactive and no longer move. Transposons were first discovered in corn (maize) during the 1940s and 50s by American scientist Barbara McClintock, whose work won her the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983. Since McClintocks discovery, three basic types of transposons have been identified. These include class II transposons, miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs, or class III transposons), and retrotransposons (class I transposons).
Class II transposons
Class II elements are simply segments of DNA that move from one place to another via a cut and paste mechanism. Most, if not all, of these elements encode an enzyme called transposase, which acts to cleave the ends of the transposon, freeing it from its initial location in the genome. Transposase also cleaves target sites where the element is to be inserted. Once the transposon is ligated (bound) into its new position, gaps that are left in the DNA sequence are filled in through the synthesis of nucleotides. Class II transposons range in length from 1,000 to as many as 40,000 base pairs.
Retrotransposons
Retrotransposons represent a highly unique group of transposable elements and form large portions of the genomes of many eukaryotes (organisms with cells containing a clearly defined nucleus). Retrotransposons function by a copy and paste mechanism. Thus, they leave behind the original copy and generate a second copy that is inserted elsewhere in the genome. This process results in the insertion of repetitive sequences of DNA throughout the genome and is the mechanism responsible for the vast spread of transposable elements in many higher organisms.
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Barbara McClintock
The first step in retrotransposition occurs when the transposable DNA is copied into RNA. The RNAsegment then jumps to another location in the genome. However, in order to be inserted into the genome at the new site, the RNA must be copied back into DNA by an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. There are several different types of retrotransposons, including long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs). About 20 percent of thehuman genome is made up of LINEs.
carries a gene encoding resistance to one or more antibiotics. Typically, these resistance genes are carried on transposable elements that have moved into plasmids and are easily transferred from one organism to another. Once a bacterium picks up such a gene, it enjoys a great selective advantage because it can grow in the presence of the antibiotic. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics actually promotes the buildup of these drugresistant plasmids and strains.
A transposable element (TE, transposon or retrotransposon) is a DNA sequence that can change its position within thegenome, sometimes creating or reversing mutations and altering the cell's genome size. Transposition often results in duplication of the TE. Barbara McClintock's discovery of [1] these jumping genes earned her a Nobel prize in 1983. TEs make up a large fraction of the C-value of eukaryotic cells. They are generally considered non-coding [citation needed] DNA, although it has been unambiguously shown that TEs are important in genome function [2] and evolution. In Oxytricha, which has a unique genetic system, they play a critical role in [3] development. They are also very useful to researchers as a means to alter DNA inside a living organism.