A primate-specific retroviral enhancer wires the XACT lncRNA into the core pluripotency network in humans

Abstract

XACT is a primate-specific TE-derived lncRNA that coats active X chromosomes in pluripotent cells and may contribute to species-specific regulation of X chromosome inactivation. Here, the authors investigate TEs associated with the XACT locus and identify a critical enhancer for its regulation, which evolved from an ancestral group of mammalian endogenous retroviruses, prior to the emergence of XACT.