Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1): passenger or driver in human neoplasms?

Abstract

LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons make up a significant portion of human genomes, with an estimated 500,000 copies per genome. Like other retrotransposons, L1 retrotransposons propagate through RNA sequences that are reverse transcribed into DNA sequences, which are integrated into new genomic loci. L1 somatic insertions have the potential to disrupt the transcriptome by inserting into or nearby genes. By mutating genes and playing a role in epigenetic dysregulation, L1 transposons may contribute to tumorigenesis. Studies of the "mobilome" have lagged behind other tumor characterizations at the sequence, transcript, and epigenetic levels. Here, we consider evidence that L1 retrotransposons may sometimes drive human tumorigenesis.

Figure 1. Repetitive sequences in the human genome.

About half of our DNA bears homology to known classes of repeats (left chart). The largest class of repeats is the non-LTR retrotransposons, which consists mostly of LINE-1 (L1), L2, MIRs, and Alu elements (right chart). L2 and MIR sequences are not currently active, but subsets of L1 (17.88%), Alu (10.76%), and SVA sequences (not shown, 0.1%) are currently mobile in human genomes and are sources of genetic polymorphisms. Proportions were determined using a RepeatMasker (version rm-20110920, default settings, RepBase sequence database version 16.08) analysis of the Human February 2009 (GRCh37/hg19) assembly. LTR, long terminal repeat retrotransposons; L1, long interspersed element–1; L2, long interspersed element–2; MIR, mammalian wide interspersed repeat; Alu, a short interspersed element named for the AluI restriction enzyme; SVA, a composite retrotransposon consisting of short interspersed repeat (SINE-R), variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), and Alu like sequence segments.

Figure 2. DNA methylation and related mechanisms inhibit LINE-1 (L1) expression, and hypomethylation of DNA allows the L1 retrotransposon “life cycle” to proceed.

In normal somatic cells, DNA methylation and related mechanisms inhibit LINE-1 (L1) expression (left image). In neoplastic cells, hypomethylation of DNA allows the L1 retrotransposon “life cycle” to proceed (right image). Retrotransposition is shown in a simplified schematic under the red box as (from left to right) transcription, assembly of ORF1p and ORF2p with L1 RNA, and insertion of a new L1 sequence (L1′). Related tumor effects are conceptually shown as (i) somatic retrotransposition of L1 and nonautonomous repeat elements, such as Alu repeats; (ii) transcriptional changes induced by L1-encoded promoters (in antisense and sense) or impacts on area methylation; and (iii) L1 ORF2p-generated DNA breaks. ASP, L1 antisense promoter.