Transposons and Transposition Mechanisms

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to transposons, their mechanisms, and their applications in genetic mutagenesis.

Hfr strain

A high-frequency recombination strain of E. coli that can transfer genes to a recipient cell via conjugation.

F' factor

A conjugative plasmid that carries some chromosomal DNA along with the F plasmid.

Transposons (Tn)

DNA sequences that can move from one site on a DNA molecule to other sites on the same or different DNA molecules.

Barbara McClintock

Geneticist who discovered transposable elements, known as jumping genes, in maize.

Insertion sequence (IS)

The simplest type of transposon, consisting only of transposase gene and inverted repeat sequences.

Composite transposon

A transposon composed of two insertion sequences that flank additional genes, often involved in antibiotic resistance.

Direct repeats (DRs)

Short repeated sequences that appear adjacent to transposons at their new insertion site, a result of the insertion process.

Transposase

An enzyme that facilitates the cut-and-paste mechanism of transposons.

Mating-out assay

A genetic technique used to assess transposition frequency by conjugating a donor strain with a recipient strain.

Mutagenesis

The process of inducing mutations in an organism, often using transposons to create targeted gene alterations.