Skip to main content

Call for Papers: The Cis-Regulatory Impact of Transposable Elements on Gene Expression

Mobile DNA is calling for submissions to our Collection on The Cis-Regulatory Impact of Transposable Elements (TEs) on Gene Expression. This Collection aims at exploring the various facets by which TEs can impact the expression of genes beyond the simple disruption of their protein-coding capacity, through compilation of new and original results on species across the tree of life, including cultivated organisms and natural populations.

Call for Papers: Transposable Elements in Cancer and Aging

Mobile DNA is calling for submissions to our new Collection on Transposable Elements (TEs) in Cancer and Aging. We welcome submissions that investigate how TEs influence cancer initiation, progression, and treatment resistance, as well as their impact on cellular aging and senescence.

Call for Papers: Horizontal Transfer of Transposable Elements

Mobile DNA is calling for submissions to our new Collection on Horizontal Transfer of Transposable Elements. This Collection is intended to include research papers presenting new and original results of bioinformatics, modeling and/or experimental studies of horizontal transposon transfer in eukaryotic genomes.

Call for Papers - Endogenous Viral Elements

Mobile DNA is calling for submissions to our new Collection on Endogenous Viral Elements (EVEs). This Collection welcomes submissions of articles covering different fields of research on EVEs and EVE-derived elements in model and non-model organisms.

Featured Collection - Transposable Elements as Epigenetic Agents of Development, Immunity, Phenotypic Variation and Disease

Mobile DNA is calling for submissions to our new Collection on Transposable Elements (TEs). This Collection will focus on the epigenetic mechanisms targeting TE sequences and the functional consequences of this targeting.

Featured series: Transposable Elements in Model Organisms

New Content ItemWe are proud to present a new series of review papers focused on transposable elements (TE) in model organisms. This series will deliver a comprehensive and even coverage of the diversity of TEs populating the model species; outstanding questions and future directions with the study of TEs in species; and much more

New Content Item (10)

Mobile DNA: Mechanisms and Health Impact
Porto, Portugal, July 20-24, 2025

Organized by:
John LaCava, The Rockefeller University
Vera Gorbunova, University of Rochester
Benjamin Greenbaum, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Zhao Zhang, Duke University School of Medicine

Keynote Speaker:
Jef Boeke, Institute of System Genetics, NYU Langone Health

Abstract deadline: Sunday, May 25, 2025
Find out moreevents.faseb.org/event/mobile-dna-mechanisms-health-impact/home

New Content Item

Mobile Genetic Elements
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, August 28-30

Organised by:
Blair Paul, Vladimir Kapitonov, Irina Arkhipova, Marine Biological Laboratory; Phoebe Rice, The University of Chicago; Cedric Feschotte, Cornell University

Abstract Deadline: July 25, 2025 
Find out more: https://www.eventsquid.com/event/28372

New Content Item

The Mobile Genome: Genetic and Physiological Impacts of Transposable Elements
Heidelberg, Germany, November 4-7, 2025 (virtual option available)

Organised by:
Déborah Bourc'his, Institut Curie, France
Julius Brennecke, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
Josefa González, Institut Botanic De Barcelona (CSIC), Spain 
Joseph Peters, Cornell University, USA

Keynote Speakers:
Orsolya Barabas, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Henry Levin, National Institutes of Health, USA

Abstract Deadline: July 29, 2025
Find out more: https://www.embl.org/about/info/course-and-conference-office/events/mge25-01/

Editors' Picks

Retand LTR-retrotransposons in plants: a long way from pol to 3'LTR. 

Vicient CM.
Mob DNA. 2025 Apr 2;16(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s13100-025-00354-z.
PMID: 40176144

Reactivation of retrotransposable elements is associated with environmental stress and ageing. 

Della Valle F, Reddy P, Aguirre Vazquez A, Izpisua Belmonte JC.
Nat Rev Genet. 2025 Apr 2. doi: 10.1038/s41576-025-00829-y. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40175591 Review.

A LTR retrotransposon insertion leads to leafy phenotype in maize by elevating ZmOM66 expression. 

Du X, Xu Z, Lu J, Chen Y, Gao X, Zhang J, He C, Huang L, Guo W, Cui Y, Wang X, Ai J, Li L, Cui Y, Liu Y, Fu J, Gu R, Wang J, Wang G.
Nat Commun. 2025 Apr 2;16(1):3152. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-57811-9.
PMID: 40175370

Unveiling Cas8 dynamics and regulation within a transposon-encoded Cascade-TniQ complex. 

Patel AC, Sinha S, Arantes PR, Palermo G.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Apr 8;122(14):e2422895122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2422895122. Epub 2025 Apr 2.
PMID: 40172964

Reprogramming site-specific retrotransposon activity to new DNA sites. 

Fell CW, Villiger L, Lim J, Hiraizumi M, Tagliaferri D, Yarnall MTN, Lee A, Jiang K, Kayabolen A, Krajeski RN, Schmitt-Ulms C, Ramani H, Yousef SM, Roberts N, Vakulskas CA, Nishimasu H, Abudayyeh OO, Gootenberg JS.
Nature. 2025 Apr 9. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08877-4. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40205048

Find full list here.

Aims and scope

Mobile DNA is an online, peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes articles providing novel insights into the function, biological impact, and evolution of transposable elements in any organism. Topics related to transposable elements may include genetic or epigenetic variation, genome rearrangements, mechanisms, patterns and processes of transposition, and the role of mobile elements in host genome evolution.

Mobile DNA aims to understand:
  • mechanisms of intra- and intergenomic mobility via genetic, comparative genomic, biochemical and structural approaches
  • regulation of DNA rearrangements by the environment and during development
  • how DNA restructuring reshapes cellular function and organism evolution
  • the role of transposable elements in disease in a variety of organisms
  • host—element interaction and genetic/epigenetic regulatory networks

Mobile DNA reflects the need for a journal that spans all aspects of specialized recombination, from structure and mechanism to evolutionary impact. In addition, the journal will consider articles on the utility of mobile genetic elements in biotechnological methods and protocols, and related biocomputational tools.

Links to Useful TE Community Resources

Transposable elements labs directory

Women in TEs (maintained by Cedric Feschotte)

Job vacancies

Transposons Worldwide SLACK Page (Managed by Rebecca Berrens)

Mobile DNA Tools Collection

TE digest (Managed by Alexander Suh)

TE Hub

TnCentral

TnPedia

ISfinder (Insertion Sequence database)

Annual Journal Metrics

  • Citation Impact 2023
    Journal Impact Factor: 4.7
    5-year Journal Impact Factor: 4.3
    Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP): 0.976
    SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): 2.196

    Speed 2024
    Submission to first editorial decision (median days): 7
    Submission to acceptance (median days): 129

    Usage 2024
    Downloads: 338,221
    Altmetric mentions: 262