▪ Abstract Inteins are genetic elements that disrupt the coding sequence of genes. However,
in contrast to introns, inteins are transcribed and translated together with their host protein.
Inteins appear most frequently in Archaea, but they are found in organisms belonging to all
three domains of life and in viral and phage proteins. Most inteins consist of two domains:
One is involved in autocatalytic splicing, and the other is an endonuclease that is important
in the spread of inteins. This review focuses on the evolution and technical application of …