Does selection against transcriptional interference shape retroelement-free regions in mammalian genomes?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Eukaryotic genomes are scattered with retroelements that proliferate through retrotransposition. Although retroelements make up around 40 percent of the human genome, large regions are found to be completely devoid of retroelements. This has been hypothesised to be a result of genomic regions being intolerant to insertions of retroelements. The inadvertent transcriptional activity of retroelements may affect neighbouring genes, which in turn could be detrimental to an organism. We speculate that such retroelement transcription, or transcriptional interference, is a contributing factor in generating and maintaining retroelement-free regions in the human genome.

Methodology/principal findings

Based on the known transcriptional properties of retroelements, we expect

SUBMITTER: Mourier T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2582637 | biostudies-literature | 2008

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature