Overview

• Researchers reclassified the MER11 transposable element family into four subfamilies (G1–G4) based on evolutionary conservation across primate genomes.
• LentiMPRA assays in human stem and early neural cells tested nearly 7,000 MER11 sequences from humans, chimpanzees and macaques to assess regulatory activity.
• The youngest MER11_G4 subfamily exhibited strong gene activation and bound a distinct set of transcription factors compared with older subfamilies.
• Comparative analysis revealed species-specific mutations in MER11_G4 sequences that contribute to divergent regulatory functions and primate speciation.
• Published in Science Advances, the study establishes a framework for understanding how ancient viral DNA has been repurposed into essential genome regulatory elements.