Chapter 11, Problem 4AQ

Summary Introduction

To discuss:

The insertion of transposable elements within a gene can cause mutations. Transposable elements disrupt the continuity of the gene. However, introns also disrupt the continuity of the gene, but the gene can be functional. Why the gene inactivation is caused by only the presence of transposable elements but not introns.

Concept introduction:

Transposable elements are known as stretches of DNA molecules and they can move from one place to another place. Generally, transposable elements are inserted into the other DNA material, for examples, the chromosome, the plasmid, and the viral genome. Transposable elements usually do not contain the origin of replication, therefore, they replicate within the host DNA into which transposable elements are inserted. When the host DNA replicates, the transposable elements also replicate along with them. The process of the movement of the transposable elements is known as transposition. Insertion sequences (IS) and transposons are two important types of transposable elements.