Retrotransposon

The term retrotransposon a class of transposable DNA sequences is referred to. This gets its name from the structural similarity with retroviruses. Retrotransposons use RNA as a mobile intermediate. They are referred to as distinct from DNA transposons ( class II) as a Class I transposons.

The subgroup of LTR retrotransposons has the greatest structural similarity with retroviruses within the retrotransposons. Full LTR retrotransposons include multiple sections protein -encoding DNA that is required for the transposition process: a protease, a reverse transcriptase, a ribonuclease, an integrase. Furthermore, there are complete LTR retrotransposons from two terminal LTRs (ie, long terminal repeats ). A special form is a solo LTRs is in which, after deletion by Homologous recombination is still only a single LTR - section in the genome present.

Strongly degenerate transposons have generally lost the capacity for autonomous transposition.

Swell

Graw, genetics, 4th edition, Springer -Verlag, Berlin -Heidelberg 2006, Chapter 9: instability of the genome: transposons and retroviruses, pp. 345f.

Wicker, T., F. Sabot, et al. (2007). "A unified classification system for eukaryotic transposable elements. " Nat Rev Genet 8 (12 ): 973-982.

  • Nucleic acid
  • Mobile genetic element
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