Abstract
Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) are ubiquitous transposable elements in higher eukaryotes that have a significant role in shaping genomes, owing to their abundance. Here we report that guanine-rich sequences in the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of hominoid-specific LINE-1 elements are coupled with retrotransposon speciation and contribute to retrotransposition through the formation of G-quadruplex (G4) structures. We demonstrate that stabilization of the G4 motif of a human-specific LINE-1 element by small-molecule ligands stimulates retrotransposition.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 243-247 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Nature Structural and Molecular Biology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1-Mar-2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |