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Updated: May 10, 2026
10:54
Detection of Retrotransposition Activity of Hot LINE-1s by Long-Distance Inverse PCR
Published on: July 27, 2019
LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposition exhibit clonal variation.
Vincent A Streva1,2, Zachary J Faber1,2,3, Prescott L Deininger2
1Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Mobile DNA
|June 5, 2013
Summary
Individual cell clones of HeLa and HCT116 lines show significant variation in their ability to support non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) and Alu retrotransposition. This clonal variability is stable upon re-cloning.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Genomics
Background:
- Non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, including long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) and Alu elements, are active in humans.
- Previous observations indicate variable retrotransposition support for LINE-1 and Alu in different HeLa cell populations.
- The genetic and epigenetic diversity within cell lines may influence retrotransposition activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate clonal variation in retrotransposition capacity within HeLa and HCT116 cell lines.
- To determine if observed variations in LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposition are stable upon re-cloning.
Main Methods:
- Utilized standard retrotransposition tissue culture assays.
- Assessed retrotransposition activity in individual cell clones of HeLa and HCT116.
- Re-cloned cell lines to assess the stability of retrotransposition capacity.
Main Results:
- Observed significant clonal variation in both LINE-1 and Alu retrotransposition in HeLa cells.
- Identified HeLa cell clones with high retrotransposition capacity and others that were retrotransposition-dead.
- Noted similar, though potentially less pronounced, clonal variation in HCT116 cells, which was consistent upon re-cloning.
Conclusions:
- Individual cell clones can exhibit dramatically different capacities for retrotransposition.
- Mixed cell populations, common in labs, may homogenize retrotransposition potential due to accumulated genetic and epigenetic diversity.
- Clonal variability impacts the overall retrotransposition capacity of cell line populations.
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