Cargo Genes of Tn <i>7</i> -Like Transposons Comprise an Enormous Diversity of Defense Systems, Mobile Genetic Elements, and Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Sean Benler, Guilhem Faure, Han Altae-Tran, Sergey Shmakov, Feng Zhang, Eugene Koonin
Abstract
Transposons are major vehicles of horizontal gene transfer that, in addition to genes directly involved in transposition, carry cargo genes. However, characterization of these genes is hampered by the difficulty of identification of transposon boundaries.
Topics & Concepts
Transposable elementMobile genetic elementsGeneBiologyGeneticsTransposition (logic)Horizontal gene transferComputational biologyGenomeInsertion sequenceFunction (biology)Gene familyAntibiotic resistanceIdentification (biology)Genetic analysisPhenotypeMutationBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyChromosomal and Genetic VariationsCRISPR and Genetic Engineering