title: Transposition of fly mariner elements into bacteria as a genetic tool for mutagenesis.
abstract: Mariner eukaryotic elements transpose randomly and independently of any host factors, making them ideal tools for random mutagenesis in bacteria, including genetically intractable microorganisms. The transposable element Himar1, a member of the mariner family of transposons, originally isolated from the horn fly (Haematobia irritans), has thus been extensively used to generate large numbers of insertion mutants. Transposon-based approaches greatly facilitate studies of bacterial biology. We summarize the current mariner-based transposon tools and techniques for conducting genetic studies in bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biologie des Spirochètes, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. mathieu.picardeau@pasteur.fr
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picardeau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009117:Muscidae / Q000235:genetics*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019895:Transposases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C111652:mariner transposases; D019895:Transposases