Which of the following is NOT something that retrotransposons and typical DNA transposons have in common? Which of the following is NOT something that retrotransposons and typical DNA transposons have in common? All of the above are things that retrotransposons and DNA transposons have in common. They can cause mutations by inserting into genes. They carry a pol gene that encodes reverse transcriptase. They are present in many copies in the genome.

Retrotransposons are segments of DNA that are copied through an intermediate RNA, a mechanism similar to that found in retroviruses. DNA production from RNA is catalyzed by the reverse transposomerase enzyme. Almost 50% of the human genome is made up of retrotransposons. In addition, there is evidence that retrotransposons are related to aging and cancer-leading mutations, but more research in this field is needed to confirm this evidence.

Transposons, in turn, are very common in genomes, they are very repetitive segments. They cause mutations when inserted into a gene and can affect the expression of that gene and can cause phenotypic changes depending on the region where it is located. They may also influence the action of nearby genes, preventing their transcription and consequent protein production, or, with opposite action, increase gene expression.

Neither transposons nor retrotransposons carry a pol gene encoding reverse transcriptase.