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Ch. 15 - Gene Mutation, DNA Repair, and Transposition
Klug - Concepts of Genetics 12th Edition
Klug12th EditionConcepts of Genetics ISBN: 9780135564776Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksKlug 12th EditionCh. 15 - Gene Mutation, DNA Repair, and TranspositionProblem 19
Chapter 15, Problem 19

Compare DNA transposons and retrotransposons. What properties do they share?

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Start by defining DNA transposons and retrotransposons to understand their basic nature: DNA transposons move via a 'cut-and-paste' mechanism using DNA intermediates, while retrotransposons move via a 'copy-and-paste' mechanism using an RNA intermediate.
Identify the key mechanism of transposition for each: DNA transposons use a transposase enzyme to excise and insert themselves directly as DNA, whereas retrotransposons use reverse transcriptase to convert RNA back into DNA before insertion.
List the shared properties by focusing on their common roles and features, such as both being mobile genetic elements capable of moving within the genome and both contributing to genome plasticity and evolution.
Highlight that both types can cause mutations or genomic rearrangements when they insert into new locations, affecting gene function or regulation.
Summarize by noting that despite differences in their transposition mechanisms, DNA transposons and retrotransposons share the fundamental property of being transposable elements that can move within the genome and impact genetic diversity.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

DNA Transposons

DNA transposons are mobile genetic elements that move within the genome via a 'cut-and-paste' mechanism. They excise themselves from one location and insert into another without an RNA intermediate, often using a transposase enzyme. This movement can cause mutations or genome rearrangements.
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Retrotransposons

Retrotransposons move through a 'copy-and-paste' mechanism involving an RNA intermediate. They are transcribed into RNA, then reverse-transcribed back into DNA, which integrates at a new genomic site. This process increases their copy number and can impact genome size and function.
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Shared Properties of Transposons

Both DNA transposons and retrotransposons are types of transposable elements that can move within the genome, contributing to genetic diversity and evolution. They can disrupt gene function or regulation and often carry sequences that facilitate their mobility, such as terminal repeats or coding for enzymes like transposase or reverse transcriptase.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A significant number of mutations in the HBB gene that cause human β-thalassemia occur within introns or in upstream noncoding sequences. Explain why mutations in these regions often lead to severe disease, although they may not directly alter the coding regions of the gene.

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Textbook Question

Describe how the Ames test screens for potential environmental mutagens. Why is it thought that a compound that tests positively in the Ames test may also be carcinogenic?

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Textbook Question

What genetic defects result in the disorder xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) in humans? How do these defects create the phenotypes associated with the disorder?

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Textbook Question

Speculate on how improved living conditions and medical care in the developed nations might affect human mutation rates, both neutral and deleterious.

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Textbook Question

In maize, a Ds or Ac transposon can alter the function of genes at or near the site of transposon insertion. It is possible for these elements to transpose away from their original insertion site, causing a reversion of the mutant phenotype. In some cases, however, even more severe phenotypes appear, due to events at or near the mutant allele. What might be happening to the transposon or the nearby gene to create more severe mutations?

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Textbook Question

It is estimated that about 0.2 percent of human mutations are due to TE insertions, and a much higher degree of mutational damage is known to occur in some other organisms. In what way might a TE insertion contribute positively to evolution?

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