Repetitive elements in differentiated cells are usually silenced. Genome-wide analyses in early mouse development show that repetitive-element expression decreases during development accompanied by the loss of active chromatin marks. LINE-1 and IAP retrotransposons become reactivated after fertilization, and LINE-1 transcription is regulated by short LINE-1 RNAs, which suggests that repetitive elements may be regulated through RNA during the earliest developmental stages.
- Anas Fadloun
- Stéphanie Le Gras
- Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla
