Transposon tagging explained

In genetic engineering, transposon tagging is a process where transposons (transposable elements) are amplified inside a biological cell by a tagging technique. Transposon tagging has been used with several species to isolate genes.^[1] Even without knowing the nature of the specific genes, the process can still be used.^[1]

In plants

By molecular separation of transposons, from a cell nucleus, the cloning is enabled for genes which contain the transposons.^[2]

By using transposon tagging, researchers have been able to add genetic elements from maize (corn)^[3] and Antirrhinum into some other species (such as tobacco,^[4] aspen^[5] and others).^[2] A gene responsible for a particular phenotype can be cloned within a given species, when movement is accompanied by the presence of a mutant phenotype.^[2]

Further reading

• Transposon Tagging, North Dakota State University
• A.M. Settles, Transposon Tagging and Reverse Genetics, University of Florida

Notes and References

1. Web site: Paaras V. . Shah . 2007 . Transposable Elements .
2. Web site: Transposon Tagging . Phillip . McClean . 1998 .
3. Brutnell . Thomas . Transposon tagging in maize . Functional & Integrative Genomics . 2 . 1–2 . 4–12 . 2002 . 12021846 . 10.1007/s10142-001-0044-0. 23266030 .
4. 10.1073/pnas.92.10.4175 . Dinesh-Kumar . S. P. . Whitham . S. . Choi . D. . Hehl . R. . Corr . C. . Baker . B. . Transposon Tagging of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Resistance Gene N: Its Possible Role in the TMV-N-Mediated Signal Transduction Pathway . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 92 . 10 . 4175–4180 . 1995 . 7753780 . 41906 . 2367289. 1995PNAS...92.4175D . free .
5. Fladung . M . Deutsch . F . Hönicka . H . Kumar . S . T-DNA and Transposon Tagging in Aspen . Plant Biology . 6 . 1 . 5–11 . 2004 . 15095129 . 10.1055/s-2003-44745 . 260252516 .