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Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Retroviral Infection of Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Embryoid Body Cells for Analysis of Hematopoietic Differentiation
Published on: October 20, 2014
Expression of Retroelements in Mammalian Gametes and Embryos
Eirini Mastora1, Antonia Christodoulaki1, Kyriaki Papageorgiou2
1Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina and Medical Genetics and Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Abstract:
Retroelements are genetic mobile elements, expressed during male and female gamete differentiation. Retrotransposons are normally regulated by the methylation machinery, chromatin modifications, non-coding RNAs, and transcription factors, while retrotransposition control is of vital importance in cellular proliferation and differentiation process. Retrotransposition requires a transcription step, by a cellular RNA polymerase, followed by reverse transcription of an RNA intermediate to cDNA and its integration into a new genomic locus. Long interspersed elements (LINEs), human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), short interspersed elements (SINEs) and SINE-VNTR-Alu elements (SVAs) constitute about half of the human genome, play a crucial role in genome organization, structure and function and interfere with several biological procedures. In this mini review, we discuss recent data regarding retroelement expression (LINE-1, HERVK-10, SVA and VL30) and retrotransposition events in mammalian oocytes and spermatozoa, as well as the importance of their impact on human and mouse preimplantation embryo development.
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