The L1 retrotransposon is the most highly successful autonomous retrotransposon in mammals. This prolific genome parasite may on occasion benefit its host through genome rearrangements or adjustments of host gene expression. In examining possible effects of L1 elements on host gene expression, we investigated whether a full-length L1 element inserted in the antisense orientation into an intron of a cellular gene may actually split the gene's transcript into two smaller transcripts: (1) a transcript containing the upstream exons and terminating in the major antisense polyadenylation site (MAPS) of the L1, and (2) a transcript derived from the L1 antisense promoter (ASP) that includes the downstream exons of the gene. Bioinformatic analysis and experimental follow-up provide evidence for this L1 "gene-breaking" hypothesis. We identified three human genes apparently "broken" by L1 elements, as well as 12 more candidate genes. Most of the inserted L1 elements in our 15 candidate genes predate the human/chimp divergence. If indeed split, the transcripts of these genes may in at least one case encode potentially interacting proteins, and in another case may encode novel proteins. Gene-breaking represents a new mechanism through which L1 elements remodel mammalian genomes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1182219 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/gr.3688905 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Multiorgan proteomic analysis of infected animal models predict potential host factors for chikungunya virus.
MedComm (2020)
January 2025
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that is primarily known for causing severe joint and muscle symptoms, but its pathological effects have extended beyond these tissues. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive proteomic analysis across various organs in rodent and nonhuman primate models to investigate CHIKV's impact on organs beyond joints and muscles and to identify key host factors involved in its pathogenesis. Our findings reveal significant species-specific similarities and differences in immune responses and metabolic regulation, with proteins like Interferon-Stimulated Gene 15 (ISG15) and Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene I (RIG-I) playing crucial roles in the anti-CHIKV defense.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacterization and genomic analysis of Abortusequi phage, vB_SalP_LDDK01, and its biocontrol application in donkey meat.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
December 2024
College of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China.
Abortusequi ( Abortusequi) is the primary cause of abortions in equine animals, and can cause serious foodborne illness. Thus, effective biocontrol strategies are needed to decontaminate and control the emergence of foodborne diseases. In recent years, phages have been used as a new strategy for modulating foodborne pathogens and food safety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted parasite, causes more than 270 million infections annually. The infection's outcome varies greatly depending on different factors that include variation in human immune responses, the vaginal microbiome, and the inherent virulence of the strain. Although the pathogenicity of the different strains depends, at least partially, on differential gene expression of virulence genes; the regulatory mechanisms governing this transcriptional control remain incompletely understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltraviolet (UV)-induced DNA mutations produce genetic drivers of cutaneous melanoma initiation and numerous neoantigens that can trigger anti-tumor immune responses in the host. Consequently, melanoma cells must rapidly evolve to evade immune detection by simultaneously modulating cell-autonomous epigenetic mechanisms and tumor-microenvironment interactions. Angiogenesis has been implicated in this process; although an increase of vasculature initiates the immune response in normal tissue, solid tumors manage to somehow enhance blood flow while preventing immune cell infiltration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Strain-level variation among host-associated bacteria often determines host range and the extent to which colonization is beneficial, benign, or pathogenic. is a beneficial symbiont of the light organs of fish and squid with known strain-specific differences that impact host specificity, colonization efficiency, and interbacterial competition. Here, we describe how the conserved global regulator, H-NS, has a strain-specific impact on a critical colonization behavior: biofilm formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!