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Pinto A, Cunha C, Chaves R, Butchbach MER, Adega F. Comprehensive In Silico Analysis of Retrotransposon Insertions within the Survival Motor Neuron Genes Involved in Spinal Muscular Atrophy. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:824. [PMID: 35741345 PMCID: PMC9219815 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are interspersed repetitive and mobile DNA sequences within the genome. Better tools for evaluating TE-derived sequences have provided insights into the contribution of TEs to human development and disease. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease that is caused by deletions or mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene but retention of its nearly perfect orthologue SMN2. Both genes are highly enriched in TEs. To establish a link between TEs and SMA, we conducted a comprehensive, in silico analysis of TE insertions within the SMN1/2 loci of SMA, carrier and healthy genomes. We found an Alu insertion in the promoter region and one L1 element in the 3'UTR that may play an important role in alternative promoter as well as in alternative transcriptional termination. Additionally, several intronic Alu repeats may influence alternative splicing via RNA circularization and causes the presence of new alternative exons. These Alu repeats present throughout the genes are also prone to recombination events that could lead to SMN1 exons deletions and, ultimately, SMA. TE characterization of the SMA genomic region could provide for a better understanding of the implications of TEs on human disease and genomic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albano Pinto
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Cunha
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Raquel Chaves
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matthew E. R. Butchbach
- Division of Neurology, Nemours Children’s Hospital Delaware, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Filomena Adega
- Laboratory of Cytogenomics and Animal Genomics (CAG), Department of Genetics and Biotechnology (DGB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; (A.P.); (C.C.); (R.C.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
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2
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Autio MI, Bin Amin T, Perrin A, Wong JY, Foo RSY, Prabhakar S. Transposable elements that have recently been mobile in the human genome. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:789. [PMID: 34732136 PMCID: PMC8567694 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08085-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transposable elements (TE) comprise nearly half of the human genome and their insertions have profound effects to human genetic diversification and as well as disease. Despite their abovementioned significance, there is no consensus on the TE subfamilies that remain active in the human genome. In this study, we therefore developed a novel statistical test for recently mobile subfamilies (RMSs), based on patterns of overlap with > 100,000 polymorphic indels. Results Our analysis produced a catalogue of 20 high-confidence RMSs, which excludes many false positives in public databases. Intriguingly though, it includes HERV-K, an LTR subfamily previously thought to be extinct. The RMS catalogue is strongly enriched for contributions to germline genetic disorders (P = 1.1e-10), and thus constitutes a valuable resource for diagnosing disorders of unknown aetiology using targeted TE-insertion screens. Remarkably, RMSs are also highly enriched for somatic insertions in diverse cancers (P = 2.8e-17), thus indicating strong correlations between germline and somatic TE mobility. Using CRISPR/Cas9 deletion, we show that an RMS-derived polymorphic TE insertion increased the expression of RPL17, a gene associated with lower survival in liver cancer. More broadly, polymorphic TE insertions from RMSs were enriched near genes with allele-specific expression, suggesting widespread effects on gene regulation. Conclusions By using a novel statistical test we have defined a catalogue of 20 recently mobile transposable element subfamilies. We illustrate the gene regulatory potential of RMS-derived polymorphic TE insertions, using CRISPR/Cas9 deletion in vitro on a specific candidate, as well as by genome wide analysis of allele-specific expression. Our study presents novel insights into TE mobility and regulatory potential and provides a key resource for human disease genetics and population history studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08085-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias I Autio
- Laboratory of Epigenomics and Chromatin Organization, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, 138672, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Talal Bin Amin
- Spatial and Single Cell Systems, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, 60 Biopolis St, Genome #02-01, Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Arnaud Perrin
- Laboratory of Epigenomics and Chromatin Organization, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, 138672, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Jen Yi Wong
- Spatial and Single Cell Systems, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, 60 Biopolis St, Genome #02-01, Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Roger S-Y Foo
- Laboratory of Epigenomics and Chromatin Organization, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore, 138672, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Shyam Prabhakar
- Spatial and Single Cell Systems, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, 60 Biopolis St, Genome #02-01, Singapore, 138672, Singapore.
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Liu G, Jiang H, Sun W, Zhang J, Chen D, Murchie AIH. The function of twister ribozyme variants in non-LTR retrotransposition in Schistosoma mansoni. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:10573-10588. [PMID: 34551436 PMCID: PMC8501958 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The twister ribozyme is widely distributed over numerous organisms and is especially abundant in Schistosoma mansoni, but has no confirmed biological function. Of the 17 non-LTR retrotransposons known in S. mansoni, none have thus far been associated with ribozymes. Here we report the identification of novel twister variant (T-variant) ribozymes and their function in S. mansoni non-LTR retrotransposition. We show that T-variant ribozymes are located at the 5′ end of Perere-3 non-LTR retrotransposons in the S. mansoni genome. T-variant ribozymes were demonstrated to be catalytically active in vitro. In reporter constructs, T-variants were shown to cleave in vivo, and cleavage of T-variants was sufficient for the translation of downstream reporter genes. Our analysis shows that the T-variants and Perere-3 are transcribed together. Target site duplications (TSDs); markers of target-primed reverse transcription (TPRT) and footmarks of retrotransposition, are located adjacent to the T-variant cleavage site and suggest that T-variant cleavage has taken place inS. mansoni. Sequence heterogeneity in the TSDs indicates that Perere-3 retrotransposition is not site-specific. The TSD sequences contribute to the 5′ end of the terminal ribozyme helix (P1 stem). Based on these results we conclude that T-variants have a functional role in Perere-3 retrotransposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getong Liu
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hengyi Jiang
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenxia Sun
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Dongrong Chen
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Alastair I H Murchie
- Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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4
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Choe SH, Park SJ, Cho HM, Park HR, Lee JR, Kim YH, Huh JW. A single mutation in the ACTR8 gene associated with lineage-specific expression in primates. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:66. [PMID: 32503430 PMCID: PMC7275561 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01620-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing (AS) generates various transcripts from a single gene and thus plays a significant role in transcriptomic diversity and proteomic complexity. Alu elements are primate-specific transposable elements (TEs) and can provide a donor or acceptor site for AS. In a study on TE-mediated AS, we recently identified a novel AluSz6-exonized ACTR8 transcript of the crab-eating monkey (Macaca fascicularis). In the present study, we sought to determine the molecular mechanism of AluSz6 exonization of the ACTR8 gene and investigate its evolutionary and functional consequences in the crab-eating monkey. Results We performed RT-PCR and genomic PCR to analyze AluSz6 exonization in the ACTR8 gene and the expression of the AluSz6-exonized transcript in nine primate samples, including prosimians, New world monkeys, Old world monkeys, and hominoids. AluSz6 integration was estimated to have occurred before the divergence of simians and prosimians. The Alu-exonized transcript obtained by AS was lineage-specific and expressed only in Old world monkeys and apes, and humans. This lineage-specific expression was caused by a single G duplication in AluSz6, which provides a new canonical 5′ splicing site. We further identified other alternative transcripts that were unaffected by the AluSz6 insertion. Finally, we observed that the alternative transcripts were transcribed into new isoforms with C-terminus deletion, and in silico analysis showed that these isoforms do not have a destructive function. Conclusions The single G duplication in the TE sequence is the source of TE exonization and AS, and this mutation may suffer a different fate of ACTR8 gene expression during primate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Hee Choe
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Sang-Je Park
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Hyeon-Mu Cho
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Hye-Ri Park
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Ja-Rang Lee
- Primate Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup, 56216, Korea
| | - Young-Hyun Kim
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
| | - Jae-Won Huh
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
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5
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Burns KH. Our Conflict with Transposable Elements and Its Implications for Human Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2020; 15:51-70. [PMID: 31977294 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012419-032633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Our genome is a historic record of successive invasions of mobile genetic elements. Like other eukaryotes, we have evolved mechanisms to limit their propagation and minimize the functional impact of new insertions. Although these mechanisms are vitally important, they are imperfect, and a handful of retroelement families remain active in modern humans. This review introduces the intrinsic functions of transposons, the tactics employed in their restraint, and the relevance of this conflict to human pathology. The most straightforward examples of disease-causing transposable elements are germline insertions that disrupt a gene and result in a monogenic disease allele. More enigmatic are the abnormal patterns of transposable element expression in disease states. Changes in transposon regulation and cellular responses to their expression have implicated these sequences in diseases as diverse as cancer, autoimmunity, and neurodegeneration. Distinguishing their epiphenomenal from their pathogenic effects may provide wholly new perspectives on our understanding of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen H Burns
- Department of Pathology, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA;
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6
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Cho HM, Park SJ, Choe SH, Lee JR, Kim SU, Jin YB, Kim JS, Lee SR, Kim YH, Huh JW. Cooperative evolution of two different TEs results in lineage-specific novel transcripts in the BLOC1S2 gene. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:196. [PMID: 31666001 PMCID: PMC6822395 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BLOC1S2 gene encodes the multifunctional protein BLOS2, a shared subunit of two lysosomal trafficking complexes: i) biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1 and i) BLOC-1-related complex. In our previous study, we identified an intriguing unreported transcript of the BLOC1S2 gene that has a novel exon derived from two transposable elements (TEs), MIR and AluSp. To investigate the evolutionary footprint and molecular mechanism of action of this transcript, we performed PCR and RT-PCR experiments and sequencing analyses using genomic DNA and RNA samples from humans and various non-human primates. RESULTS The results showed that the MIR element had integrated into the genome of our common ancestor, specifically in the BLOC1S2 gene region, before the radiation of all primate lineages and that the AluSp element had integrated into the genome of our common ancestor, fortunately in the middle of the MIR sequences, after the divergence of Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. The combined MIR and AluSp sequences provide a 3' splice site (AG) and 5' splice site (GT), respectively, and generate the Old World monkey-specific transcripts. Moreover, branch point sequences for the intron removal process are provided by the MIR and AluSp combination. CONCLUSIONS We show for the first time that sequential integration into the same location and sequence divergence events of two different TEs generated lineage-specific transcripts through sequence collaboration during primate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Mu Cho
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Sang-Je Park
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Se-Hee Choe
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Ja-Rang Lee
- Primate Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup, 56216, Korea
| | - Sun-Uk Kim
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.,Futuristic Animal Resource and Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Yeung-Bae Jin
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea
| | - Ji-Su Kim
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.,Primate Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Jeongeup, 56216, Korea
| | - Sang-Rae Lee
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea.,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea
| | - Young-Hyun Kim
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
| | - Jae-Won Huh
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, 28116, Korea. .,Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon, 34113, Korea.
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7
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Feusier J, Watkins WS, Thomas J, Farrell A, Witherspoon DJ, Baird L, Ha H, Xing J, Jorde LB. Pedigree-based estimation of human mobile element retrotransposition rates. Genome Res 2019; 29:1567-1577. [PMID: 31575651 PMCID: PMC6771411 DOI: 10.1101/gr.247965.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Germline mutation rates in humans have been estimated for a variety of mutation types, including single-nucleotide and large structural variants. Here, we directly measure the germline retrotransposition rate for the three active retrotransposon elements: L1, Alu, and SVA. We used three tools for calling mobile element insertions (MEIs) (MELT, RUFUS, and TranSurVeyor) on blood-derived whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 599 CEPH individuals, comprising 33 three-generation pedigrees. We identified 26 de novo MEIs in 437 births. The retrotransposition rate estimates for Alu elements, one in 40 births, is roughly half the rate estimated using phylogenetic analyses, a difference in magnitude similar to that observed for single-nucleotide variants. The L1 retrotransposition rate is one in 63 births and is within range of previous estimates (1:20-1:200 births). The SVA retrotransposition rate, one in 63 births, is much higher than the previous estimate of one in 900 births. Our large, three-generation pedigrees allowed us to assess parent-of-origin effects and the timing of insertion events in either gametogenesis or early embryonic development. We find a statistically significant paternal bias in Alu retrotransposition. Our study represents the first in-depth analysis of the rate and dynamics of human retrotransposition from WGS data in three-generation human pedigrees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Feusier
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - W Scott Watkins
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Jainy Thomas
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Andrew Farrell
- USTAR Center for Genetic Discovery, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - David J Witherspoon
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Lisa Baird
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Hongseok Ha
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Lynn B Jorde
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
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8
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Pereira GC, Sanchez L, Schaughency PM, Rubio-Roldán A, Choi JA, Planet E, Batra R, Turelli P, Trono D, Ostrow LW, Ravits J, Kazazian HH, Wheelan SJ, Heras SR, Mayer J, García-Pérez JL, Goodier JL. Properties of LINE-1 proteins and repeat element expression in the context of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mob DNA 2018; 9:35. [PMID: 30564290 PMCID: PMC6295051 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-018-0138-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease involving loss of motor neurons and having no known cure and uncertain etiology. Several studies have drawn connections between altered retrotransposon expression and ALS. Certain features of the LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposon-encoded ORF1 protein (ORF1p) are analogous to those of neurodegeneration-associated RNA-binding proteins, including formation of cytoplasmic aggregates. In this study we explore these features and consider possible links between L1 expression and ALS. RESULTS We first considered factors that modulate aggregation and subcellular distribution of LINE-1 ORF1p, including nuclear localization. Changes to some ORF1p amino acid residues alter both retrotransposition efficiency and protein aggregation dynamics, and we found that one such polymorphism is present in endogenous L1s abundant in the human genome. We failed, however, to identify CRM1-mediated nuclear export signals in ORF1p nor strict involvement of cell cycle in endogenous ORF1p nuclear localization in human 2102Ep germline teratocarcinoma cells. Some proteins linked with ALS bind and colocalize with L1 ORF1p ribonucleoprotein particles in cytoplasmic RNA granules. Increased expression of several ALS-associated proteins, including TAR DNA Binding Protein (TDP-43), strongly limits cell culture retrotransposition, while some disease-related mutations modify these effects. Using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) of ALS tissues and reanalysis of publicly available RNA-Seq datasets, we asked if changes in expression of retrotransposons are associated with ALS. We found minimal altered expression in sporadic ALS tissues but confirmed a previous report of differential expression of many repeat subfamilies in C9orf72 gene-mutated ALS patients. CONCLUSIONS Here we extended understanding of the subcellular localization dynamics of the aggregation-prone LINE-1 ORF1p RNA-binding protein. However, we failed to find compelling evidence for misregulation of LINE-1 retrotransposons in sporadic ALS nor a clear effect of ALS-associated TDP-43 protein on L1 expression. In sum, our study reveals that the interplay of active retrotransposons and the molecular features of ALS are more complex than anticipated. Thus, the potential consequences of altered retrotransposon activity for ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders are worthy of continued investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin C. Pereira
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Laura Sanchez
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
| | - Paul M. Schaughency
- Oncology Center-Cancer Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Alejandro Rubio-Roldán
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
| | - Jungbin A. Choi
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Evarist Planet
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ranjan Batra
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California USA
| | - Priscilla Turelli
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lyle W. Ostrow
- Neuromuscular Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California USA
| | - Haig H. Kazazian
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Sarah J. Wheelan
- Oncology Center-Cancer Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Sara R. Heras
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jens Mayer
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Jose Luis García-Pérez
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John L. Goodier
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
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9
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Kojima KK. Human transposable elements in Repbase: genomic footprints from fish to humans. Mob DNA 2018; 9:2. [PMID: 29308093 PMCID: PMC5753468 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-017-0107-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Repbase is a comprehensive database of eukaryotic transposable elements (TEs) and repeat sequences, containing over 1300 human repeat sequences. Recent analyses of these repeat sequences have accumulated evidences for their contribution to human evolution through becoming functional elements, such as protein-coding regions or binding sites of transcriptional regulators. However, resolving the origins of repeat sequences is a challenge, due to their age, divergence, and degradation. Ancient repeats have been continuously classified as TEs by finding similar TEs from other organisms. Here, the most comprehensive picture of human repeat sequences is presented. The human genome contains traces of 10 clades (L1, CR1, L2, Crack, RTE, RTEX, R4, Vingi, Tx1 and Penelope) of non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons (long interspersed elements, LINEs), 3 types (SINE1/7SL, SINE2/tRNA, and SINE3/5S) of short interspersed elements (SINEs), 1 composite retrotransposon (SVA) family, 5 classes (ERV1, ERV2, ERV3, Gypsy and DIRS) of LTR retrotransposons, and 12 superfamilies (Crypton, Ginger1, Harbinger, hAT, Helitron, Kolobok, Mariner, Merlin, MuDR, P, piggyBac and Transib) of DNA transposons. These TE footprints demonstrate an evolutionary continuum of the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji K Kojima
- Genetic Information Research Institute, 465 Fairchild Drive, Suite 201, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA.,Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Daxue Rd, East District, Tainan, 701 Taiwan
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