%0 Journal Article
%T The expanding universe of transposon technologies for gene and cell engineering
%A Zolt¨˘n Ivics
%A Zsuzsanna Izsv¨˘k
%J Mobile DNA
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1759-8753-1-25
%X DNA transposons are discrete pieces of DNA with the ability to change their positions within the genome via a 'cut and paste' mechanism called transposition. In nature, these elements exist as single units containing the transposase gene flanked by terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) that carry transposase binding sites (Figure 1A). However, under laboratory conditions, it is possible to use transposons as bi-component systems, in which virtually any DNA sequence of interest can be placed between the transposon TIRs and mobilized by trans-supplementing the transposase in the form of an expression plasmid (Figure 1B) or mRNA synthesized in vitro. In the transposition process, the transposase enzyme mediates the excision of the element from its donor plasmid, followed by reintegration of the transposon into a chromosomal locus (Figure 1C). This feature makes transposons natural and easily controllable DNA delivery vehicles that can be used as tools for versatile applications, ranging from somatic and germline transgenesis to functional genomics and gene therapy (Figure 2).Transposons have been successfully used in plants and in invertebrate animal models, including Arabidopsis, rice, Caenorhabditis elegans [1-3] and Drosophila [4-6] for transgenesis and insertional mutagenesis, but until recently, there was no known transposon that was sufficiently active to be tailored as a tool for such purposes in vertebrates. This is because transposons tend to have limitations with respect to the species in which they can jump. In 1997, the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system was engineered by molecular reconstruction of an ancient, inactive Tc1/mariner-type transposon found in several fish genomes [7]. This newly reactivated element allowed highly efficient transposition-mediated gene transfer in major vertebrate model species without the potential risk of cross-mobilization of endogenous transposon copies in host genomes. This is because the genomes of major models lack endogen
%U http://www.mobilednajournal.com/content/1/1/25