Long noncoding RNAs transcribed by ERV-9 LTR retrotransposon act in cis to modulate long-range LTR enhancer function [RNA-Seq]. Homo sapiens

LTR retrotransposons are repetitive DNA elements comprising ~10% of the human genome. However, Whether or how the LTR lncRNAs serve biological functions is largely unknown. Here we show that in primary human erythroblasts, lncRNAs transcribed from the LTR retrotransposons of ERV-9 human endogenous retrovirus regulated transcription of key erythroid genes. Global knock-down of ERV-LTR lncRNAs was performed in the in vitro erythropoiesis system of human CD34 cells, and genome wide RNA-seq was carried out to detect the effect on transcription. Overall design: Examination of transcriptome changes of 2 shRNA knock-down cells and a scrambled control knock-down cells