John V Moran
Gilbert S Omenn Collegiate Professor of Human Genetics
Professor of Human Genetics and Professor of Internal Medicine
Program Associate
PhD Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics
[email protected]

Available to mentor

John V Moran
Professor
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications
  • Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Rogel Cancer Center
    • Center Member
      Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics
    Research Overview

    The goal of our laboratory is to understand how an abundant class of "jumping genes," known as retrotransposons, affects the structure and function of human genomes. In particular, we study Long INterspersed Element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) retrotransposons. The average human genome is estimated to contain ~80-100 active LINE-1s that are able to mobilize (i.e., retrotranspose) to new genomic locations by a copy and paste mechanism termed target-site primed reverse transcription. On occasion, LINE-1 retrotransposition events can disrupt gene function, and de novo LINE-1 insertions have led to sporadic cases of genetic disease. Since starting my laboratory at the University of Michigan, we have used genetic, molecular biological, biochemical, and modern genomic and computational approaches to address the following questions: 1) What is the molecular mechanism of LINE-1 retrotransposition? 2) How do LINE-1 retrotransposition events affect the human genome? 3) What cellular factors promote or restrict LINE-1 retrotransposition? 4) How does LINE-1 retrotransposition contribute to intra- and inter-individual genetic variation? We welcome motivated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to join our team. Please contact Dr. Moran ([email protected]) if you are interested in learning more about our research.

    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Mapping recurrent mosaic copy number variation in human neurons.
      Sun C, Kathuria K, Emery SB, Kim B, Burbulis IE, Shin JH, Brain Somatic Mosaicism Network , Weinberger DR, Moran JV, Kidd JM, Mills RE, McConnell MJ. Nat Commun, 2024 May 17; 15 (1): 4220 DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-48392-0
      PMID: 38760338
    • Journal Article
      Variable patterns of retrotransposition in different HeLa strains provide mechanistic insights into SINE RNA mobilization processes.
      Moldovan JB, Kopera HC, Liu Y, Garcia-Canadas M, Catalina P, Leone PE, Sanchez L, Kitzman JO, Kidd JM, Garcia-Perez JL, Moran JV. Nucleic Acids Res, 2024 Jul 22; 52 (13): 7761 - 7779. DOI:10.1093/nar/gkae448
      PMID: 38850156
    • Journal Article
      The interferon stimulated gene-encoded protein HELZ2 inhibits human LINE-1 retrotransposition and LINE-1 RNA-mediated type I interferon induction.
      Luqman-Fatah A, Watanabe Y, Uno K, Ishikawa F, Moran JV, Miyoshi T. Nat Commun, 2023 Jan 13; 14 (1): 203 DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-35757-6
      PMID: 36639706
    • Journal Article
      Condensin I and condensin II proteins form a LINE-1 dependent super condensin complex and cooperate to repress LINE-1.
      Ward JR, Khan A, Torres S, Crawford B, Nock S, Frisbie T, Moran JV, Longworth MS. Nucleic Acids Res, 2022 Oct 14; 50 (18): 10680 - 10694. DOI:10.1093/nar/gkac802
      PMID: 36169232
    • Journal Article
      Reverse transcriptase meets DNA, again: Possible roles for transposable elements in host DNA repair.
      Moran JV, Wilson TE. Cell, 2022 Sep 29; 185 (20): 3643 - 3645. DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.012
      PMID: 36179663
    • Chapter
      Mammalian line-1 retrotransposons and related elements
      Moran JV, Gilbert N. 2022 Jun 1; Mobile DNA II, 836 - 869. DOI:10.1128/9781555817954.ch35
    • Chapter
      Chromosomes: Noncoding DNA (including Satellite DNA)
      Mortimer SM, Frisbie TJ, Moldovan JB, Nakamura M, Sandwith SN, Yin J, Moran JV. 2022 Encyclopedia of Life Sciences,
    • Journal Article
      Comprehensive identification of somatic nucleotide variants in human brain tissue.
      Wang Y, Bae T, Thorpe J, Sherman MA, Jones AG, Cho S, Daily K, Dou Y, Ganz J, Galor A, Lobon I, Pattni R, Rosenbluh C, Tomasi S, Tomasini L, Yang X, Zhou B, Akbarian S, Ball LL, Bizzotto S, Emery SB, Doan R, Fasching L, Jang Y, Juan D, Lizano E, Luquette LJ, Moldovan JB, Narurkar R, Oetjens MT, Rodin RE, Sekar S, Shin JH, Soriano E, Straub RE, Zhou W, Chess A, Gleeson JG, Marquès-Bonet T, Park PJ, Peters MA, Pevsner J, Walsh CA, Weinberger DR, Brain Somatic Mosaicism Network , Vaccarino FM, Moran JV, Urban AE, Kidd JM, Mills RE, Abyzov A. Genome Biol, 2021 Mar 29; 22 (1): 92 DOI:10.1186/s13059-021-02285-3
      PMID: 33781308
    Featured News & Stories
    Department News
    Highlighted Publications - July 2024
    Department of Human Genetics faculty are involved in widely diverse areas of research, from Genome Structure and Function research to Evolutionary and Population Genetics.
    Department News
    Highlighted Publications - June 2024
    Department of Human Genetics faculty are involved in widely diverse areas of research, from Genome Structure and Function research to Evolutionary and Population Genetics.
    Department News
    Highlighted Publications - May 2024
    Department of Human Genetics faculty are involved in widely diverse areas of research, from Genome Structure and Function research to Evolutionary and Population Genetics.