@article{10.1371/journal.pgen.1000461, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1000461}, author = {Suzuki, Jun AND Yamaguchi, Katsumi AND Kajikawa, Masaki AND Ichiyanagi, Kenji AND Adachi, Noritaka AND Koyama, Hideki AND Takeda, Shunichi AND Okada, Norihiro}, journal = {PLOS Genetics}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, title = {Genetic Evidence That the Non-Homologous End-Joining Repair Pathway Is Involved in LINE Retrotransposition}, year = {2009}, month = {04}, volume = {5}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000461}, pages = {1-13}, abstract = {Long interspersed elements (LINEs) are transposable elements that proliferate within eukaryotic genomes, having a large impact on eukaryotic genome evolution. LINEs mobilize via a process called retrotransposition. Although the role of the LINE-encoded protein(s) in retrotransposition has been extensively investigated, the participation of host-encoded factors in retrotransposition remains unclear. To address this issue, we examined retrotransposition frequencies of two structurally different LINEs—zebrafish ZfL2-2 and human L1—in knockout chicken DT40 cell lines deficient in genes involved in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of DNA and in human HeLa cells treated with a drug that inhibits NHEJ. Deficiencies of NHEJ proteins decreased retrotransposition frequencies of both LINEs in these cells, suggesting that NHEJ is involved in LINE retrotransposition. More precise characterization of ZfL2-2 insertions in DT40 cells permitted us to consider the possibility of dual roles for NHEJ in LINE retrotransposition, namely to ensure efficient integration of LINEs and to restrict their full-length formation.}, number = {4}, }