LINE-1 ORF1p RIP-seq reveals widespread association with p-body enriched mRNAs

BackgroundLong INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1) is an autonomous retroelement able to "copy-and-paste" itself into new loci of the host genome through a process called retrotransposition. The LINE-1 bicistronic mRNA codes for two proteins, ORF1p, a nucleic acid chaperone, and ORF2p, a protein with endonuclease and reverse transcriptase activity. Both proteins bind LINE-1 mRNA in cis and are necessary for retrotransposition. While LINE-1 transcription is usually repressed in most healthy somatic cells through a plethora of mechanisms, ORF1p expression has been observed in nearly 50% of tumors, and new LINE-1 insertions have been documented in a similar fraction of tumors, including prostate cancer. ResultsHere, we utilized RNA ImmunoPrecipitation (RIP) and the L1EM analysis software to identify ORF1p bound RNA in prostate cancer cells. We identified LINE-1 loci that were expressed in androgen sensitive and androgen independent cells, that we show are representative of LINE-1 copies expressed in prostate cancer before and after treatment. In all androgen independent cells, we found higher levels of LINE-1 RNA, as well as unique expression patterns of LINE-1 loci. Interestingly, we observed that ORF1p bound many non-LINE-1 mRNA in all prostate cancer cell lines evaluated, and polyA RNA, and RNA localized in p-bodies were especially enriched. Furthermore, the expression levels of many of the identified ORF1p bound mRNAs also correlated with expression of LINE-1 RNA in prostate tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). ConclusionOur results show a significant remodeling of LINE-1 loci expression in androgen independent cell lines when compared to parental androgen dependent cells, suggesting an evolution of LINE-1 expression during prostate cancer progression. Additionally, our finding that ORF1p bound a significant amount of non-LINE-1 mRNA, and that the enriched ORF1p bound mRNAs are also amplified in LINE-1 expressing TCGA prostate tumors, suggest that ORF1p may play a role in non-LINE-1 RNA processing and regulation of specific transcripts in prostate tumors.