Contribution of Retrotransposition to Developmental Disorders

Mobile genetic Elements (MEs) are segments of DNA which, through an RNA intermediate, can generate new copies of themselves and other transcribed sequences through the process of retrotransposition (RT). In humans several disorders have been attributed to RT, but the role of RT in severe developmental disorders (DD) has not yet been explored. As such, we have identified RT-derived events in 9,738 exome sequenced trios with DD-affected probands as part of the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study. We have ascertained 9 de novo MEs, 4 of which are likely causative of the patient’s symptoms (0.04% of probands), as well as 2 de novo gene retroduplications. Beyond identifying likely diagnostic RT events, we have estimated genome-wide germline ME mutagenesis and constraint and demonstrated that coding RT events have signatures of purifying selection equivalent to those of truncating mutations. Overall, our analysis represents a comprehensive interrogation of the impact of retrotransposition on protein coding genes and a framework for future evolutionary and disease studies.

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