It was not long ago since the DNA trasposition had been shown to play vital roles in the development of an organism. Transposons, or the 'jumping genes' which were once thought of as junk DNA are now believed to have significant effects on the behavior of neighbouring genes as the realignment of antibody genes in human genome has been shown to enable the immune system to fight infection more effectively.
Based on that, researchers from the University of Edinburgh discovered the roles of protein in the DNA transposition as to how enzyme can cut out sections of DNA to be reinserted elsewhere in the genome. Studies showed that DNA transposition which involves a cut and paste mechanism are mediated by transposon-encoded transposase proteins that catalyze transposition through an specific order of events. Firstly, the transposase will bind specifically to the terminal inverted repeats (IR) present at each end of the transposon forming a paired-end complex (PEC). After that, cleavage of DNA strands would be formed at each transposon end to release the target DNA. The DNA strand released will then be transfered to a new site.
The discovery of the exact mechanism of DNA transposition mediated by the transposase enzyme has implied further possibility of manipulating human genome. As suggested by Dr. Julia Richardson who led the study, this research has given us a clearer picture as to how protein should be adapted and controlled which enable genes to be inserted into cells exactly where they are needed - the ultimate aim of gene therapy.
Further reading: http://www.impactlab.com/2009/09/24/junk-dna-cut-and-paste-protein-discovery-may-prove-invaluable-in-quest-for-gene-therapies/
Kuan Chuan TAN 41936166
