World Science Scholars

1.6 Why Do Genes Jump in the First Place?

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    • Transposons are a powerful force in shaping genome evolution because they act as potent “vectors” to move around genetic information both within cells, and in the case of bacteria, between cells. Although transposons are intrinsically “selfish” (they only care about surviving by copying themselves), they often tilt the odds to favor their own evolutionary survival by benefitting the bacteria that inherit them. Can you come up with some reasons why jumping genes benefit bacteria? What kinds of genetic information might they spread that aid bacteria?

    • they could paste in genetic info that helps them deteact and destroy viruses

    • this could be a cycle of paste and deveopl crispr target and cut

    • this could be a cycle of paste and deveopl crispr target and cut the genetic info is aa match for detecting future virus infections

    • cut the genetic info is a match for detecting future virus infections

    • They could maximize a particular phenotype or a particular expression of a gene that’s useful for that living organism in its environment.

    • Maybe if some bacteria have adaptations that help them survive, like antibiotic resistance, this mechanism can help that genetic information move into more bacteria.

    • Fantastic!

    • I think what you’re getting at here is that transposons could import viral RNA patterns and insert them into the bacterium’s genome so they have immunity against the bacteriophage without ever having been exposed to it! So it’s a vaccination of sorts!

    • Encoded proteins and enzymes of youth.

    • Jumper genes can allow bacteria to be lazy.
      Benefits from jumper genes are bringing in new material while bacteria remain unaffected by source materials.

    • Transposons would allow bacterial cells to diversify their genetic material to allow for CRISPR to better help an individual cell defend itself against a broader spectrum of viral infections.

    • There is an entire school tracing life on Earth as a product of RNA. Jumper genes would allow a world wide evolution of jumper genes to act similar to viruses and, well… Go viral. Things would happen faster.

      Is evolution also speed? Jumping genes are not trapped in the world as their hosts may be. This may also be a rapine action.

      Genetic updates would allow better communications and survival skills.

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    • Transposon displacement can have a variety of effects, including inversions, deletions or duplications of large DNA fragments.
      Transposons also play an important role in the evolution of genomes, especially their ability to initiate recombination, which is the most important mechanism leading to genome rearrangement.

    • Since the jumping genes are selfish, in that they copy themselves for survival, it may so happen that they possess certain genetic codes that allow for their survival in the host. Once they integrate within the host, such as bacteria, the host’s genomic sequence automatically changes. It could be that the transposon genome sequence possesses genes to provide resistance against certain phenomena, and upon integrating into the bacteria’s genome, the bacteria now benefit from these resistance genes that support its survival in an environment.

    • They require the bacteria, or the bacteria benefitting from transposons can adapt better. Which benefits the jumping genes too

    • great

    • Transposons benefit bacteria by spreading genes for antibiotic resistance, metabolic versatility, and virulence, enhancing their adaptability and survival.

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