Tn 10 is a transposable element, which is a sequence of DNA that is capable of mediating its own movement through the DNA of host organisms. This fragment of DNA can move from position to position on the chromosome or plasmid by cut-and-paste transposition (also known as 'non-replicative transposition'). The Tn10 transposon is often used in genetics to transfer and select-for genes of interest from one organism into the chromosome of another.
Being a composite transposon, it is flanked by insertion sequences. In Tn9 the insertion sequences are oriented in the same direction as each other, but in Tn5 and Tn10 the insertion sequences are symmetrical. Between the Tn10 insertion sequences, there are a number of genes, including one conferring resistance to the antibiotic, tetracycline. This phenotype makes tn10 convenient as a genetic tool. A gene of interest is inserted into the transposon and the transposon is then transferred to new host cells. The gene of interest is then 'selected-for' by exposing these cells to tetracycline, thus eliminating any cells that did not successfully take up the transposon.
