The role of host factors in LINE retrotransposition

转座因子，包括LINEs，是真核生物基因组的主要组成部分。它们通过自身RNA的逆转录来调动和扩增自己的拷贝。这种动员机制被称为反转录转座，它需要由转座因子编码的蛋白质。然而，逆转录转位并不仅仅由蛋白质完成，宿主编码的蛋白质很可能是逆转录转位所必需的。本研究发现，LINEs的一种反转录转座中间体含有大量的宿主编码蛋白，这些蛋白可能参与了反转录转座。

Transposable elements, including LINEs, are major components of eukaryotic genomes. They mobilize and amplify their own copies via the reverse transcription of their own RNA. This mobilization mechanism is called retrotransposition, and it requires proteins encoded by transposable elements. However, retrotransposition is not completed by the proteins only, and host encoded proteins are most likely required for retrotransposition. This study found that a retrotransposition intermediate of LINEs contains a large amount of host encoded proteins, which probably participate in retrotransposition.