A Novel Active L1 Retrotransposon Subfamily in the Mouse

Abstract

Unlike human L1 retrotransposons, the 5′ UTR of mouse L1 elements contains tandem repeats of ∼200 bp in length called monomers. Multiple L1 subfamilies exist in the mouse which are distinguished by their monomer sequences. We previously described a young subfamily, called the TF subfamily, which contains ∼1800 active elements among its 3000 full-length members. Here we characterize a novel subfamily of mouse L1 elements, GF, which has unique monomer sequence and unusual patterns of monomer organization. A majority of these GF elements also have a unique length polymorphism in ORF1. Polymorphism analysis of GF elements in various mouse subspecies and laboratory strains revealed that, like TF, the GF subfamily is young and expanding. About 1500 full-length GF elements exist in the diploid mouse genome and, based on the results of a cell culture assay, ∼400 GF elements are potentially capable of retrotransposition. We also tested 14 A-type subfamily elements in the assay and estimate that about 900 active A elements may be present in the mouse genome. Thus, it is now known that there are three large active subfamilies of mouse L1s; TF, A, and GF, and that in total ∼3000 full-length elements are potentially capable of active retrotransposition. This number is in great excess to the number of L1 elements thought to be active in the human genome.