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  • Review Article
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The Prokaryotic Transposable Element Tn5

Bio/Technology volume 1, pages 417–435 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

The current interest in transposable elements stems from their ubiquity and their characteristic ability to insert into many sites in the genomes of their host organisms. They are responsible for a large fraction of spontaneous mutations and chromosome rearrangements. They alter the expression of genes near their sites of insertion. They facilitate the flow of genes encoding traits such as antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity between different bacterial species. This review focuses on the bacterial transposon Tn5 which encodes resistance to kanamycin and related aminoglycoside antibiotics: (i) How it is proving to be a powerful new tool for in vivo genetic engineering in many bacterial species; (ii) Our understanding of the mechanism and control of its transposition; and (iii) Current concepts of how it and other mobile elements may have evolved and contributed to the evolution of bacterial populations.

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  1. Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and of Genetics, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO, 63110

    Douglas E. Berg

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    Claire M. Berg

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Berg, D., Berg, C. The Prokaryotic Transposable Element Tn5. Nat Biotechnol 1, 417–435 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0783-417

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