Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile DNA sequences that invade genomes and contribute to genome innovation. Because TEs and the much more abundant degenerate copies of them that accumulate over evolutionary time scales are subject to epigenetic control, they can also exert a multitude of effects on genome function, from regulation of gene expression, to shaping the dynamics of chromatin architecture or inducing innate and adaptive immune responses. The dysregulation of this epigenetic control has notably been implicated in cancer, autoimmune diseases and ageing in humans, as well as in the generation of heritable epimutations in plants.
This Collection will focus on the epigenetic mechanisms targeting TE sequences and the functional consequences of this targeting, with the aim to provide answers to the following questions:
• How do TE sequences regulate developmental processes including gene expression and cell fate transitions?
• How do TE sequences affect the three-dimensional structure of chromatin, and what are the consequences of these changes for genome function?
• How are TE sequences controlled epigenetically during the life cycle and how do they contribute to ageing?
• When and how do TE sequences drive or potentiate immune responses?
• What is the role of epigenetic dysregulation of TE sequences in phenotypic variation and in diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disease?
• Can targeting TE sequences with epidrugs or epigenome editing represent a therapeutic strategy?
