Harbinger elements are Class 2 transposons.
They are well characterised in plants. Non-autonomous derivatives (Tourist MITEs) are very abundant in grasses, less in dicots.
The terminal repeats usually end in GGG or GAGCA (5' end) and CCC or TGCTC (3' end).
Upon insertion, they create a 3 bp Target site duplication (TSD).
TIR5: Terminal inverted repeat
Function: Contains motifs that are recognized and bound by the transposase. Essential for transposition.
Protein motifs:
TASE: Transposase
Function: Required for excision and insertion
Protein motifs: DDE
TIR3: Terminal inverted repeat
Function: Contains motifs that are recognized and bound by the transposase. Essential for transposition.
Protein motifs:
Taxonomic group | Total elements |
---|---|
PLANTAE | 208 |