Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2025

Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity
Published on: January 20, 2023
Dosage compensation of transposable elements in mammals
Chunyao Wei1,2, Barry Kesner1,2, Uri Weissbein1,2
1Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Transposable elements (TEs) on the X chromosome are silenced during X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) but not X-autosome balance. This study reveals TEs
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Genomics
- Mammalian Developmental Biology
Background:
- Mammalian dosage compensation balances X chromosome gene expression between sexes.
- X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) silences one X chromosome in females.
- Xa-hyperactivation balances X-autosome gene dosage in both sexes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of transposable elements (TEs) in X-chromosome dosage compensation.
- To develop bioinformatic tools for analyzing TE expression and allelic origin.
- To determine if TEs are subject to XCI or Xa-hyperactivation.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel bioinformatic pipeline for repetitive element analysis.
- Application of the pipeline to single-embryo So-Smart-Seq data.
- Analysis of TE silencing patterns during imprinted and random XCI.
Main Results:
- X-linked transposable elements (TEs) are significantly silenced during XCI, with variations based on parental imprinting, chromosomal position, and genetic background.
- Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) may influence X-chromosome 3D organization during XCI.
- TEs do not undergo Xa-hyperactivation.
Conclusions:
- Transposable elements (TEs) participate in X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) but not Xa-hyperactivation.
- TEs are subject to epigenetic regulation during dosage compensation, unlike previously assumed.
- TEs' role in XCI has evolutionary and functional implications for genome regulation.
More Related Videos
06:58Loss-of-Function Approach in the Embryonic Chick Retina by Using Tol2 Transposon-Mediated Transgenic Expression of Artificial microRNAs
Published on: May 18, 2022
10:58Transposon Mediated Integration of Plasmid DNA into the Subventricular Zone of Neonatal Mice to Generate Novel Models of Glioblastoma
Published on: February 22, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Dosage Compensation
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will...
Overview of Transposition and Recombination
DNA-only Transposons
The donor site from where the transposon is excised is either degraded or...
Non-LTR Retrotransposons
LTR Retrotransposons
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
Gene Conversion