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Transposable elements as key regulators of placental development.

M A Zhilkina¹, E N Tolmacheva¹, S A Vasilyev¹

¹Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia.

Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genetiki I Selektsii

|September 25, 2025

Summary

Transposable elements (TEs) are activated in the placenta due to hypomethylation, influencing gene regulation and placental development. Understanding these mobile genetic elements is crucial for addressing pregnancy-related disorders.

Keywords:

placenta development retrotransposons retroviruses transposable elements

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Area of Science:

Genomics
Epigenetics
Developmental Biology

Background:

Transposable elements (TEs) constitute over a third of the human genome and are key evolutionary drivers.
TE activity is normally suppressed by DNA methylation, but this varies across tissues.
The placenta exhibits global hypomethylation, allowing normally silenced TEs to become active.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of transposable elements in human genome function and gene expression during pregnancy.
To highlight the unique placental epigenetic landscape that permits TE activation.
To explore the implications of TE activity for placental development and potential obstetric syndromes.

Main Methods:

Literature review focusing on transposable elements, DNA methylation, and placental biology.
Analysis of existing research on TE function in gene regulation and development.
Synthesis of findings related to non-LTR retrotransposons in pregnancy.

Main Results:

Placental hypomethylation enables TE mobilization and activation.
TEs contribute regulatory sequences like promoters and enhancers to placental development.
TE-derived elements are involved in key placental processes such as trophoblast formation and vascular remodeling.

Conclusions:

Transposable elements significantly impact placental gene expression and development.
Understanding TE mechanisms in the placenta is vital for diagnosing and treating obstetric complications.
Further research into non-LTR retrotransposon function during pregnancy is warranted.