Transposable Genetic Elements · Zoology

Which of the following is a non-autonomous retrotransposon?

  1. LINEs (Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements)
  2. Bacterial insertion sequences
  3. SINEs (Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements)
  4. Composite transposons
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Correct answer: SINEs (Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements)

SINEs (Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements) are non-autonomous because they lack the reverse transcriptase gene needed for transposition. They rely on LINE-encoded proteins to mobilize. Alu elements are the most abundant SINEs in the human genome.

Difficulty: Medium Question 13 of 20

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