Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40962935›Full record

ArticleNature cell biology2025

A subset of transposable elements as mechano-response enhancer elements in controlling human embryonic stem cell fate.

Tongyu Sun, Yueyuan Xu, Nicole Angel, Luna Chen, Kan Zhang, Brenton D Hoffman, Jianhong Ou, Zhipeng Meng, Shyni Varghese, Yarui Diao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature cell biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Mechanical cues regulateMaterials today. Bio · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Tongyu SunDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Yueyuan XuDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Nicole AngelDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Luna ChenDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Kan ZhangDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Brenton D HoffmanDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2296-1331
Jianhong OuDuke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
Zhipeng MengDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4756-6303
Shyni VargheseDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0004-7947
Yarui DiaoDepartment of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. yarui.diao@duke.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5842-4082

Funding

The 4D nucleome of muscle regeneration in ischemia-induced tissue damage and repairU01HL156064 · NHLBI · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI DIAO, YARUI · 2020 to 2024
$3.0M
Localization of adenosine to promote fracture healingR01AG074491 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI Shyni Varghese · 2022 to 2026
$2.6M
Multi-omics functional analysis of non-coding regulatory genome for genomic medicineR35HG011328 · NHGRI · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI DIAO, YARUI · 2020 to 2024
$2.3M
Roles of mechanotransduction in organ regeneration and fibrosisR35GM142504 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI MENG, ZHIPENG · 2021 to 2025
$2.0M
NHGRI NIH HHS R35 HG011328NHLBI NIH HHS U01 HL156064NIA NIH HHS R01 AG074491NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM142504U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) U01HL156064U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Center for Information Technology (Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health) R35GM142504
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transposable elements (TEs), constituting half of the human genome, are essential for development and diseases. While the regulation of TE activity by cellular intrinsic mechanisms is well documented, their response to microenvironmental signals, particularly mechanical cues involving numerous biological processes, remains unknown. Here we show that various TE families, notably LTR7, undergo transcriptomic, epigenetic and three-dimensional genome changes in response to matrix mechanical cues in human embryonic stem cells. Interestingly, LTR7s act as 'mechano-response enhancer elements' (MREEs), controlling the gene expression and cell fate of human embryonic stem cells. Mechanistically, mechano-effectors YAP/TEAD1 control LTR7's epigenetic activity by engaging with BRD4. Furthermore, YAP recruits CTCF, a key genome architecture protein, to facilitate long-range interactions between gene promoters and TEs as MREEs. In particular, a mechano-responsive LTR7 element is a distal enhancer for FAM189A2, thereby inhibiting definitive endoderm differentiation. These findings highlight the underappreciated role of TEs as MREEs that control human cell fate and gene expression.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationDNA Transposable ElementsEnhancer Elements, GeneticHuman Embryonic Stem CellsMechanotransduction, CellularAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingBromodomain Containing ProteinsCCCTC-Binding FactorCell Cycle ProteinsDNA-Binding ProteinsEpigenesis, GeneticGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalHumansNuclear ProteinsPromoter Regions, GeneticTEA Domain Transcription FactorsAdaptor Proteins, Signal TransducingBRD4 protein, humanBromodomain Containing ProteinsCCCTC-Binding FactorCell Cycle ProteinsDNA-Binding ProteinsDNA Transposable ElementsNuclear ProteinsTEA Domain Transcription FactorsTranscription FactorsYAP1 protein, humanYAP-Signaling Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40962935
PMCPMC12667560

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.