The Tn10 synaptic complex can capture a target DNA only after transposon excision.

Tn10 transposes nonreplicatively. Staged in vitro reactions demonstrate that a Tn10 synaptic complex can become committed to a particular target DNA molecule via a noncovalent interaction in the absence of strand transfer. Commitment occurs only after double-strand cleavage at both transposon ends (in "double-end break" [DEB] complexes). Stable noncovalent DEB-target DNA cocomplexes can be detected, but no cocomplexes occur with synaptic complexes containing uncleaved ends. Preincubation of DEB complexes with target DNA accelerates the rate of strand transfer. Postcleavage target capture is remarkable for Tn10; Mu and Tn7 select a target site prior to cleavage. Promiscuous target selection may favor evolution of IS-based composite elements while being suicidal for other types of transposons.