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Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Analysis of LINE-1 Retrotransposition at the Single Nucleus Level
Published on: April 23, 2016
APOBEC3DE Inhibits LINE-1 Retrotransposition by Interacting with ORF1p and Influencing LINE Reverse Transcriptase
Weizi Liang1, Jiwei Xu1, Wensu Yuan1
1School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Abstract:
Human long interspersed elements 1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the only autonomous non-LTR retroelement in humans and has been associated with genome instability, inherited genetic diseases, and the development of cancer. Certain human APOBEC3 family proteins are known to have LINE-1 restriction activity. The mechanisms by which APOBEC3 affects LINE-1 retrotransposition are not all well characterized; here, we confirm that both A3B and A3DE have a strong ability to inhibit LINE-1 retrotransposition. A3DE interacts with LINE-1 ORF1p to target LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in an RNA-dependent manner. Moreover, A3DE binds to LINE-1 RNA and ORF1 protein in cell culture system. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that A3DE co-localizes with ORF1p in cytoplasm. Furthermore, A3DE inhibits LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity in LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particles in a cytidine deaminase-independent manner. In contrast, A3B has less inhibitory effects on LINE-1 reverse transcriptase activity despite its strong inhibition of LINE-1 retrotransposition. This study demonstrates that different A3 proteins have been evolved to inhibit LINE-1 activity through distinct mechanisms.
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