Retrotransposons Manipulating Mammalian Skeletal Development in Chondrocytes

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Takanori Ishikawa¹  Takako Hattori¹  Satoshi Kubota¹  Takashi Nishida¹  Kazumi Kawata¹ 

[1] Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Dentistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8525, Japan;

关键词: retrotransposon;    endogenous retrovirus;    chondrocyte;    cartilage;    skeletal development;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms21051564

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Retrotransposons are genetic elements that copy and paste themselves in the host genome through transcription, reverse-transcription, and integration processes. Along with their proliferation in the genome, retrotransposons inevitably modify host genes around the integration sites, and occasionally create novel genes. Even now, a number of retrotransposons are still actively editing our genomes. As such, their profound role in the evolution of mammalian genomes is obvious; thus, their contribution to mammalian skeletal evolution and development is also unquestionable. In mammals, most of the skeletal parts are formed and grown through a process entitled endochondral ossification, in which chondrocytes play central roles. In this review, current knowledge on the evolutional, physiological, and pathological roles of retrotransposons in mammalian chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage development is summarized. The possible biological impact of these mobile genetic elements in the future is also discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown