LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposition exhibit clonal variation

Variable patterns of retrotransposition in different HeLa strains provide mechanistic insights into SINE RNA mobilization processes

Alu elements are non-autonomous Short INterspersed Elements (SINEs) derived from the 7SL RNA gene that are present at over one million copies in human genomic DNA. Alu mobilizes by a mechanism known as retrotransposition, which requires the Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) ORF2-encoded protein (ORF2p). Here, we demonstrate that HeLa strains differ in their capacity to support Alu retrotransposition. Human Alu elements retrotranspose efficiently in HeLa-HA and HeLa-CCL2 (Alu-permissive) strains, but not in HeLa-JVM or HeLa-H1 (Alu-nonpermissive) strains. A similar pattern of retrotransposition was observed for other 7SL RNA-derived SINEs and tRNA-derived SINEs. In contrast, mammalian LINE-1s, a zebrafish LINE, a human SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) element, and an L1 ORF1-containing mRNA can retrotranspose in all four HeLa strains. Using an in vitro reverse transcriptase-based assay, we show that Alu RNAs associate with ORF2p and are converted into cDNAs in both Alu-permissive and Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains, suggesting that 7SL- and tRNA-derived SINEs use strategies to 'hijack' L1 ORF2p that are distinct from those used by SVA elements and ORF1-containing mRNAs. These data further suggest ORF2p associates with the Alu RNA poly(A) tract in both Alu-permissive and Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains, but that Alu retrotransposition is blocked after this critical step in Alu-nonpermissive HeLa strains.

Young SINEs in pig genomes impact gene regulation, genetic diversity, and complex traits

Transposable elements (TEs) are a major source of genetic polymorphisms and play a role in chromatin architecture, gene regulatory networks, and genomic evolution. However, their functional role in pigs and contributions to complex traits are largely unknown. We created a catalog of TEs (n = 3,087,929) in pigs and found that young SINEs were predominantly silenced by histone modifications, DNA methylation, and decreased accessibility. However, some transcripts from active young SINEs showed high tissue-specificity, as confirmed by analyzing 3570 RNA-seq samples. We also detected 211,067 dimorphic SINEs in 374 individuals, including 340 population-specific ones associated with local adaptation. Mapping these dimorphic SINEs to genome-wide associations of 97 complex traits in pigs, we found 54 candidate genes (e.g., ANK2 and VRTN) that might be mediated by TEs. Our findings highlight the important roles of young SINEs and provide a supplement for genotype-to-phenotype associations and modern breeding in pigs.

KCNQ1OT1 promotes genome-wide transposon repression by guiding RNA-DNA triplexes and HP1 binding

Transposon (de)repression and heterochromatin reorganization are dynamically regulated during cell fate determination and are hallmarks of cellular senescence. However, whether they are sequence specifically regulated remains unknown. Here we uncover that the KCNQ1OT1 lncRNA, by sequence-specific Hoogsteen base pairing with double-stranded genomic DNA via its repeat-rich region and binding to the heterochromatin protein HP1α, guides, induces and maintains epigenetic silencing at specific repetitive DNA elements. Repressing KCNQ1OT1 or deleting its repeat-rich region reduces DNA methylation and H3K9me3 on KCNQ1OT1-targeted transposons. Engineering a fusion KCNQ1OT1 with an ectopically targeting guiding triplex sequence induces de novo DNA methylation at the target site. Phenotypically, repressing KCNQ1OT1 induces senescence-associated heterochromatin foci, transposon activation and retrotransposition as well as cellular senescence, demonstrating an essential role of KCNQ1OT1 to safeguard against genome instability and senescence.

RNA sensor MDA5 suppresses LINE-1 retrotransposition by regulating the promoter activity of LINE-1 5'-UTR

Background

Type 1 long interspersed elements, or LINE-1, are the only retroelements that replicate autonomously in human cells. The retrotransposition process of LINE-1 can trigger the activation of the innate immune system and has been proposed to play a role in the development of several autoimmune diseases, including Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS). In contrast, all known AGS-associated proteins, except MDA5, have been reported to affect LINE-1 activity. Thus, MDA5 is likely to also function as a LINE-1 suppressor.

Results

MDA5 was found to potently suppress LINE-1 activity in a reporter-based LINE-1 retrotransposition assay. Although MDA5 is an endogenous RNA sensor able to activate the innate immune system, increased interferon (IFN) expression only contributed in part to MDA5-mediated LINE-1 suppression. Instead, MDA5 potently regulated the promoter activity of LINE-1 5′-UTR, as confirmed by transiently expressed myc-tagged MDA5 or knockdown of endogenous MDA5 expression. Consequently, MDA5 effectively reduced the generation of LINE-1 RNA and the subsequent expression of LINE-1 ORF1p and ORF2p. Interestingly, despite MDA5 being a multi-domain protein, the N-terminal 2CARD domain alone is sufficient to interact with LINE-1 5′-UTR and inhibit LINE-1 promoter activity.

Conclusion

Our data reveal that MDA5 functions as a promoter regulator; it directly binds to the LINE-1 5′-UTR and suppresses its promoter activity. Consequently, MDA5 reduces LINE-1 RNA and protein levels, and ultimately inhibits LINE-1 retrotransposition. In contrast, MDA5-induced IFN expression only plays a mild role in MDA5-mediated LINE-1 suppression. In addition, the N-terminal 2CARD domain was found to be a functional region for MDA5 upon inhibition of LINE-1 replication. Thus, our data suggest that besides being an initiator of the innate immune system, MDA5 is also an effector against LINE-1 activity, potentially forming a feedback loop by suppressing LINE-1-induced innate immune activation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13100-022-00268-0.

Deciphering fact from artifact when using reporter assays to investigate the roles of host factors on L1 retrotransposition

BACKGROUND

The Long INterspersed Element-1 (L1, LINE-1) is the only autonomous mobile DNA element in humans and has generated as much as half of the genome. Due to increasing clinical interest in the roles of L1 in cancer, embryogenesis and neuronal development, it has become a priority to understand L1-host interactions and identify host factors required for its activity. Apropos to this, we recently reported that L1 retrotransposition in HeLa cells requires phosphorylation of the L1 protein ORF1p at motifs targeted by host cell proline-directed protein kinases (PDPKs), which include the family of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Using two engineered L1 reporter assays, we continued our investigation into the roles of MAPKs in L1 activity.

RESULTS

We found that the MAPK p38δ phosphorylated ORF1p on three of its four PDPK motifs required for L1 activity. In addition, we found that a constitutively active p38δ mutant appeared to promote L1 retrotransposition in HeLa cells. However, despite the consistency of these findings with our earlier work, we identified some technical concerns regarding the experimental methodology. Specifically, we found that exogenous expression of p38δ appeared to affect at least one heterologous promoter in an engineered L1 reporter, as well as generate opposing effects on two different reporters. We also show that two commercially available non-targeting control (NTC) siRNAs elicit drastically different effects on the apparent retrotransposition reported by both L1 assays, which raises concerns about the use of NTCs as normalizing controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Engineered L1 reporter assays have been invaluable for determining the functions and critical residues of L1 open reading frames, as well as elucidating many aspects of L1 replication. However, our results suggest that caution is required when interpreting data obtained from L1 reporters used in conjunction with exogenous gene expression or siRNA.

SINE Retrotransposition: Evaluation of Alu Activity and Recovery of De Novo Inserts

Mobile element activity is of great interest due to its impact on genomes. However, the types of mobile elements that inhabit any given genome are remarkably varied. Among the different varieties of mobile elements, the Short Interspersed Elements (SINEs) populate many genomes, including many mammalian species. Although SINEs are parasites of Long Interspersed Elements (LINEs), SINEs have been highly successful in both the primate and rodent genomes. When comparing copy numbers in mammals, SINEs have been vastly more successful than other nonautonomous elements, such as the retropseudogenes and SVA. Interestingly, in the human genome the copy number of Alu (a primate SINE) outnumbers LINE-1 (L1) copies 2 to 1. Estimates suggest that the retrotransposition rate for Alu is tenfold higher than LINE-1 with about 1 insert in every twenty births. Furthermore, Alu-induced mutagenesis is responsible for the majority of the documented instances of human retroelement insertion-induced disease. However, little is known on what contributes to these observed differences between SINEs and LINEs. The development of an assay to monitor SINE retrotransposition in culture has become an important tool for the elucidation of some of these differences. In this chapter, we present details of the SINE retrotransposition assay and the recovery of de novo inserts. We also focus on the nuances that are unique to the SINE assay.

Reviving the dead: history and reactivation of an extinct l1

Although L1 sequences are present in the genomes of all placental mammals and marsupials examined to date, their activity was lost in the megabat family, Pteropodidae, ∼24 million years ago. To examine the characteristics of L1s prior to their extinction, we analyzed the evolutionary history of L1s in the genome of a megabat, Pteropus vampyrus, and found a pattern of periodic L1 expansion and quiescence. In contrast to the well-characterized L1s in human and mouse, megabat genomes have accommodated two or more simultaneously active L1 families throughout their evolutionary history, and major peaks of L1 deposition into the genome always involved multiple families. We compared the consensus sequences of the two major megabat L1 families at the time of their extinction to consensus L1s of a variety of mammalian species. Megabat L1s are comparable to the other mammalian L1s in terms of adenosine content and conserved amino acids in the open reading frames (ORFs). However, the intergenic region (IGR) of the reconstructed element from the more active family is dramatically longer than the IGR of well-characterized human and mouse L1s. We synthesized the reconstructed element from this L1 family and tested the ability of its components to support retrotransposition in a tissue culture assay. Both ORFs are capable of supporting retrotransposition, while the IGR is inhibitory to retrotransposition, especially when combined with either of the reconstructed ORFs. We dissected the inhibitory effect of the IGR by testing truncated and shuffled versions and found that length is a key factor, but not the only one affecting inhibition of retrotransposition. Although the IGR is inhibitory to retrotransposition, this inhibition does not account for the extinction of L1s in megabats. Overall, the evolution of the L1 sequence or the quiescence of L1 is unlikely the reason of L1 extinction.