Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay?
The frequency of somatic retrotranspositions of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements 1 (LINE1) over a lifetime in healthy colonic epithelium and colorectal tumors has recently been reported. Indicative of a cell type-specific effect, LINE1 sequences in colonic epithelium showed lower levels of DNA met...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/16/4119 |
| _version_ | 1797585267899498496 |
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| author | Christopher J. Bergin Amanda Mendes da Silva Yannick D. Benoit |
| author_facet | Christopher J. Bergin Amanda Mendes da Silva Yannick D. Benoit |
| author_sort | Christopher J. Bergin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The frequency of somatic retrotranspositions of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements 1 (LINE1) over a lifetime in healthy colonic epithelium and colorectal tumors has recently been reported. Indicative of a cell type-specific effect, LINE1 sequences in colonic epithelium showed lower levels of DNA methylation compared to other cell types examined in the study. Consistent with a role for DNA methylation in transposon silencing, the decreases in DNA methylation observed at LINE1 elements in colonic epithelium were accompanied by increases in LINE1 mRNA levels. In human primary colorectal tumors, LINE1 retrotransposition frequency was tenfold higher than in normal colonic tissues, with insertions potentially altering genomic stability and cellular functions. Here, we discuss the discoveries made by Nam and colleagues, emphasizing the intestinal-specific methylation signature regulating the LINE1 lifecycle and how this new information could shape future drug discovery endeavors against colorectal cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:03:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b11570d6d9b940e1ba941e696b5e4806 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:03:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-b11570d6d9b940e1ba941e696b5e48062023-11-19T00:33:31ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942023-08-011516411910.3390/cancers15164119Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay?Christopher J. Bergin0Amanda Mendes da Silva1Yannick D. Benoit2Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaDepartment of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, CanadaThe frequency of somatic retrotranspositions of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements 1 (LINE1) over a lifetime in healthy colonic epithelium and colorectal tumors has recently been reported. Indicative of a cell type-specific effect, LINE1 sequences in colonic epithelium showed lower levels of DNA methylation compared to other cell types examined in the study. Consistent with a role for DNA methylation in transposon silencing, the decreases in DNA methylation observed at LINE1 elements in colonic epithelium were accompanied by increases in LINE1 mRNA levels. In human primary colorectal tumors, LINE1 retrotransposition frequency was tenfold higher than in normal colonic tissues, with insertions potentially altering genomic stability and cellular functions. Here, we discuss the discoveries made by Nam and colleagues, emphasizing the intestinal-specific methylation signature regulating the LINE1 lifecycle and how this new information could shape future drug discovery endeavors against colorectal cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/16/4119colorectal cancerepigeneticsLINE1methylationretrotransposonsviral mimicry |
| spellingShingle | Christopher J. Bergin Amanda Mendes da Silva Yannick D. Benoit Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? Cancers colorectal cancer epigenetics LINE1 methylation retrotransposons viral mimicry |
| title | Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? |
| title_full | Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? |
| title_fullStr | Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? |
| title_short | Where to Draw the LINE—Are Retrotransposable Elements Here to Stay? |
| title_sort | where to draw the line are retrotransposable elements here to stay |
| topic | colorectal cancer epigenetics LINE1 methylation retrotransposons viral mimicry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/16/4119 |
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