Transposons

• Transposons are DNA elements that can “hop”, or transpose from one place to another (below).
• Discovered by Barbara McClintock in corn.
• Transposase is the enzyme that that promotes transposition.
• Transposons have inverted repeat (IRs) sequences at each end (below right).
• There are three types of transposons: 1. Insertion Sequences
(IS elements), which are the smallest and have IRs and a
transposase gene; 2. Composite transposons, which are two
IS elements bracketing other genes; 3. Noncomposite
transposons, which have several genes including a
transposase between two IRs.
Transposons
• For most transposons, transposition causes a short direct repeat in the target DNA.
• Trasposons employ mechanisms that prevent frequent transposition, such as programmed frameshifting
in IS3.
Composite transposons
• Composite transposons consist of two IS elements
of the same type bracketing some intervening DNA.
• Both inside- and outside-end transposition may occu.r
• Outside-end transposition makes use of the two
IR sequences furthest from each other, in which case
DNA between the two IS elements is transposed as
well (right).
• Inside-end transposition makes use of the two IR
sequences closest to each other but from different IS
elements, which can result in the formation of a new
composite transposon (below).
Consequences of composite
transposon hopping
• R-factors (plasmids containing may resistance genes)
have been assembled by IS elements (below).
• Inside-end transposition can cause deletion or inversion
of DNA between the original site of the transposon and
its destination site.
- Whether a deletion or inversion occurs depends on
how the inside ends attach to the target DNA.
- Crossing of the inside ends causes inversion.
- If they do not cross, a deletion results.
Noncomposite transposons
• Noncomposite transposons combine the qualities of both IS elements and composite transposons.
• Like IS elements, They have single IR sequences at each end.
• Like composite transposons, they carry selectable marker genes.
Assays of transposition
• Phage and plasmid suicide vectors can be used to introduce transposons into a recipient cell
and antibiotic resistance conferred by the transposon can be used to select for cells where the
transposon has hopped into the recipient’s DNA.
• Transposition from a nontransferrable plasmid to one that can be transferred can be detected
by conjugal transfer of a transposon-encoded resistance marker gene (below).