Retrotransposon
Retrotransposon are a class of transposons which operate by DNA being transcribed into RNA then back to DNA again, via the action of reverse trnascriptase[1]. They are also known as 'jumping genes' as DNA is moved to a different position on the chromosome each time retrotransposition occurs[2].
There are 2 types of retrotransposons[3]:
1. Long Terminal Receptors (LTRs)
These have structures similar to retroviruses
2. Non-Long Terminal Receptors (non LTRs)
These are further divided into Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs) and Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements (SINEs)
- ↑ Lander E, Linton L, Birren B, Nusbaum C, Zody M, Baldwin J et al. Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome. Nature [Internet]. 2001
- ↑ Lander E, Linton L, Birren B, Nusbaum C, Zody M, Baldwin J et al. Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome. Nature [Internet]. 2001
- ↑ The three Types of Retrotransposons [Internet]. Actforlibraries.org. 2018