Transposable genetic elements (1 Viewer)

[nesstar]

describe the way in which transposable genetic elements operate and discuss their impact on the genome

I realised during my revision that I have no idea about the answer to this dot point. All I can gather is that they are "jumping genes", but that doesn't really help, as I don't really understand what that involves anyway...

 

[xiao1985]

transposable genes are those genes in some bacteria which can physically jump from one bacteria to the adjacent one... clearly it can greatly increase the genome of the species...

it is hypothesised that it may result in the rapid development of the resistance among the bacteria population... (ie, one bacteria has the variation due to mutation that is a resistance to say drugs... that cell replciate it self by binary fission, but also the resistance gene canjump into other non resistant bacteria ... so that they develop resistance too)

 

[nesstar]

Thanks so much!

Does this only happen in bacteria??

 

[frodo]

i think it happens in more than bacteria, eg, in plants it results in a mixed phenotype. you can check your textbook because i think it occurs in all organisms?

 

[malkin86]

Aren't they worried about jumping genes in relation to superweeds and transgenic organisms?

 

[t-i-m-m-y]

hmm to answer the dot point:

they can move from chromsome to chromosome, various sections of the DNA are capable of doing so, forming your transposable genetic elements

impact on genome: mutations, different protein products etc...

and yes, like xaio said, it relates to the antibiotic resistance

 

[silvermoon]

A transposon, or jumping gene, is a segment of DNA which codes for an enzyme that can move the segment directly form one part of a chromosome to another. A transposon may stay in one position for several generations and then suddenely move to a new location. Sometimes it may be inserted into another gene where it may cause a mutation.

 

[Mizuki]

mutation...is that the same as saying it can turn genes on or off? Cause that's how I'v been taught...

 

[xiao1985]

mutation...is that the same as saying it can turn genes on or off? Cause that's how I'v been taught...

uhm, i think it can physically be "inserted" into dna strands of other bacteria... and that can be perceived as mutation, as there is a change of dna sequence happenin

 

[Bec1234]

The reason that it can suddenly be turned on is that in some cases the gene may be under the control of a certain promoter, one that is not being activated. When the transposon moves to another location it can be placed under the control of a promoter that controls a gene that is constitutively expressed, and so that gene will also become consitutively expressed.