Transcriptional regulation of early transposon elements, an active family of mouse long terminal repeat retrotransposons.

ABSTRACT: While early transposon (ETn) endogenous retrovirus (ERV)-like elements are known to be active insertional mutagens in the mouse, little is known about their transcriptional regulation. ETns are transcribed during early mouse embryogenesis in embryonic stem (ES) and embryonic carcinoma (EC) cell lines. Despite their lack of coding potential, some ETns remain transposition competent through their use of reverse transcriptase encoded by a related group of ERVs-MusD elements. In this study, we have confirmed high expression levels of ETn and MusD elements in ES and EC cells and have demonstrated an increase in the copy number of ETnII elements in the EC P19 cell line. Using transient transfections, we have shown that ETnII and MusD LTRs are much more active as promoters in P19 cells than in NI

SUBMITTER: Maksakova IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1280189 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature