Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
11:04
RNA Next-Generation Sequencing and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Identify Expressed LINE-1s at the Locus-Specific Level
Published on: May 19, 2019
The retrotransposon LINE-1: a double-edged sword in tumorigenesis
Lu Tian1, Qian Liu1, Shan Cen1
1Department of Immunology, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
Yi Chuan = Hereditas
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons are vital for genomic stability but can cause cancer when dysregulated. This review covers LINE-1 regulation, its role in tumors, and potential as a cancer biomarker and therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Transposons, or jumping genes, are mobile DNA sequences.
- Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) is the only active retrotransposon in the human genome.
- LINE-1 is normally silenced by host epigenetic mechanisms to ensure genomic stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the regulatory network of LINE-1.
- To explore LINE-1's aberrant activation in cancer.
- To discuss LINE-1's role in tumorigenesis and its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on LINE-1 regulation and function.
- Analysis of epigenetic modifications, non-coding RNAs, and host restriction factors.
- Exploration of molecular mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment.
Main Results:
- Dysregulated LINE-1 activation contributes to genomic instability and cancer development.
- Elevated LINE-1 expression is observed in various cancers.
- LINE-1 influences tumor development via genomic instability, inflammation, and cellular immortalization.
Conclusions:
- LINE-1 dysregulation is closely linked to tumorigenesis.
- LINE-1 holds potential as a cancer diagnostic biomarker.
- Targeting LINE-1 offers novel anti-tumor therapeutic strategies.
Related Concept Videos
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
03:08LTR Retrotransposons
LTR retrotransposons are class I transposable elements with long terminal repeats flanking an internal coding region. These elements are less abundant in mammals compared to other class I transposable elements. About 8 percent of human genomic DNA comprises LTR retrotransposons. Some of the common examples of LTR retrotransposons are Ty elements in yeast and Copia elements in Drosophila.
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
The internal coding region of LTR retrotransposons and their mechanism of transposition closely resembles a...
01:51Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
01:51Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...