Transposable elements (TEs) initially attracted attention because they comprise a major portion of the genomic sequences in plants and animals. TEs may jump around the genome and disrupt both coding genes as well as regulatory sequences to cause disease. Host cells have therefore evolved various epigenetic and functional RNA-mediated mechanisms to mitigate the disruption of genomic integrity by TEs. TE associated sequences therefore acquire the tendencies of attracting various epigenetic modifiers to induce epigenetic alterations that may spread to the neighboring genes. In addition to posting threats for (epi)genome integrity, emerging evidence suggested the physiological importance of endogenous TEs either as cis-acting control elements for controlling gene regulation or as TE-containing functional transcripts that modulate the transcriptome of the host cells. Recent advances in long-reads sequence analysis technologies, bioinformatics and genetic editing tools have enabled the profiling, precise annotation and functional characterization of TEs despite their challenging repetitive nature. The importance of specific TEs in preimplantation embryonic development, germ cell differentiation and meiosis, cell fate determination and in driving species specific differences in mammals will be discussed.

中文翻译：

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不仅仅是导致（表观）基因组不稳定：转座因子调节的新兴生理意义

转座因子 (TE) 最初引起了人们的注意，因为它们构成了植物和动物基因组序列的主要部分。TE 可能会在基因组周围跳跃并破坏编码基因和调控序列从而导致疾病。因此，宿主细胞进化出各种表观遗传和功能性 RNA 介导的机制，以减轻 TE 对基因组完整性的破坏。因此，TE 相关序列具有吸引各种表观遗传修饰符以诱导可能扩散到邻近基因的表观遗传改变的趋势。除了发布对（表观）基因组完整性的威胁之外，新出现的证据表明内源性 TE 的生理重要性，要么作为控制基因调控的顺式作用控制元件，要么作为调节宿主细胞转录组的含有 TE 的功能性转录物。长读长序列分析技术、生物信息学和基因编辑工具的最新进展使 TE 的分析、精确注释和功能表征成为可能，尽管它们具有挑战性的重复性。将讨论特定 TE 在植入前胚胎发育、生殖细胞分化和减数分裂、细胞命运决定以及驱动哺乳动物物种特异性差异中的重要性。尽管具有挑战性的重复性，但 TE 的精确注释和功能表征。将讨论特定 TE 在植入前胚胎发育、生殖细胞分化和减数分裂、细胞命运决定以及驱动哺乳动物物种特异性差异中的重要性。尽管具有挑战性的重复性，但 TE 的精确注释和功能表征。将讨论特定 TE 在植入前胚胎发育、生殖细胞分化和减数分裂、细胞命运决定以及驱动哺乳动物物种特异性差异中的重要性。