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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
04:04
Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
Published on: January 20, 2023
2.7K
Transposable elements have contributed human regulatory regions that are activated upon bacterial infection
Lucia Bogdan1, Luis Barreiro2, Guillaume Bourque1,3
1Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Summary
Transposable elements (TEs) regulate human immune cell activation. Specific TE families, like MER44 and THE1, are found near immune genes, suggesting a role in gene expression during immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Transposable elements (TEs) are increasingly recognized for their role in mammalian regulatory systems.
- While TEs are implicated in the human interferon response, their function in other immune cell activation pathways is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of transposable elements (TEs) in regulating gene expression during human immune cell activation.
- To identify specific TE subfamilies enriched in accessible chromatin near differentially expressed genes in stimulated macrophages.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing) to profile accessible chromatin in stimulated human macrophages.
- Analyzed the enrichment of TEs in differentially accessible regions and near differentially expressed genes.
- Examined transcription factor binding motifs within TEs and their presence in quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions.
Main Results:
- Identified 14 TE subfamilies (e.g., MER44, THE1, Tigger3, MLT1) enriched in accessible chromatin near immune-responsive genes.
- Found that MER44B and THE1C contain binding motifs for key immune regulators AP-1 and NF-κB.
- Demonstrated that TEs are located in accessible regions near quantitative trait loci (QTLs), indicating a regulatory role.
Conclusions:
- Specific transposable element families contribute to the regulation of gene expression in human immune cells during infection response.
- TEs play a significant role in shaping the regulatory landscape of immune cell activation.
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