Hominoid-specific transposable elements reshaped neural crest migration in craniofacial development.

ABSTRACT: Craniofacial development is evolutionarily conserved, yet subtle changes in its regulatory network drive species-specific traits. Transposable elements (TEs) contribute to genome evolution, but their role in cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) remains unclear. Here, we investigate the domestication of hominoid-specific TEs (LTR5Hs and SVAs) as enhancers during human CNCC specification, a process critical for vertebrate craniofacial development. Using human iPSC-derived CNCCs, we identified ~515 hominoid-specific TEs functioning as enhancers, including ~250 human-specific, predominantly LTR5Hs. These elements are enriched for CNCC coordinator motifs, are bound by the CNCC signature factor TWIST1, and their enhancer activity appears largely CNCC-specific. CRISPR-interference targeting ~75% of

SUBMITTER: Deelen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12673149 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature