Practice question
Question
Most studied viral transposon is
Explanation
Mu phage is temperate bacteriophage infecting Escherichia coli whose 37 kb genome replicates predominantly via replicative transposition during lytic growth and prophage integration. Encoding MuA transposase and MuB ATPase facilitating target capture, Mu inserts with minimal sequence specificity creating 5 bp target site duplication and providing classic model for transposition immunity preventing multiple insertions close together. Extensive biochemical studies revealed transpososome assembly, strand transfer chemistry, and coupling with replication proteins. Its dual life as virus and transposon bridges phage biology and mobile DNA paradigms.