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Updated: Aug 11, 2025

RNA Next-Generation Sequencing and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Identify Expressed LINE-1s at the Locus-Specific Level
Published on: May 19, 2019
LINE-1 retrotransposon expression in cancerous, epithelial and neuronal cells revealed by 5' single-cell RNA-Seq
Wilson McKerrow1,2, Larisa Kagermazova1,2, Nicole Doudican3
1Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract:
LINE-1 retrotransposons are sequences capable of copying themselves to new genomic loci via an RNA intermediate. New studies implicate LINE-1 in a range of diseases, especially in the context of aging, but without an accurate understanding of where and when LINE-1 is expressed, a full accounting of its role in health and disease is not possible. We therefore developed a method-5' scL1seq-that makes use of a widely available library preparation method (10x Genomics 5' single cell RNA-seq) to measure LINE-1 expression in tens of thousands of single cells. We recapitulated the known pattern of LINE-1 expression in tumors-present in cancer cells, absent from immune cells-and identified hitherto undescribed LINE-1 expression in human epithelial cells and mouse hippocampal neurons. In both cases, we saw a modest increase with age, supporting recent research connecting LINE-1 to age related diseases.
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