The retrotransposon-derived capsid genes PNMA1 and PNMA4 maintain reproductive capacity

Almost half of the human genome consists of retrotransposons-'parasitic' sequences that insert themselves into the host genome via an RNA intermediate. Although most of these sequences are silenced or mutationally deactivated, they can present opportunities for evolutionary innovation: mutation of a deteriorating retrotransposon can result in a gene that provides a selective advantage to the host in a process termed 'domestication'^1-3. The PNMA family of gag-like capsid genes was domesticated from an ancient vertebrate retrotransposon of the Metaviridae clade at least 100 million years ago^4,5. PNMA1 and PNMA4 are positively regulated by the master germ cell transcription factors MYBL1 and STRA8, and their transcripts are bound by the translational regulator DAZL during gametogenesis⁶. This developmental regulation of PNMA1 and PNMA4 expression in gonadal tissue suggested to us that they might serve a reproductive function. Through the analysis of donated human ovaries, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and mouse models, we found that PNMA1 and PNMA4 are necessary for the maintenance of a normal reproductive lifespan. These proteins self-assemble into capsid-like structures that exit human cells, and we observed large PNMA4 particles in mouse male gonadal tissue that contain RNA and are consistent with capsid formation.