The majority of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contain transposable elements (TEs). PAHAL, a nuclear-retained lncRNA that is inserted by a Gypsy retrotransposon, has been shown to be a vital regulator of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene expression that controls dopamine biosynthesis and behavioural aggregation in the migratory locust. However, the role of the Gypsy retrotransposon in the transcriptional regulation of PAHAL remains unknown. Here, we identified a Gypsy retrotransposon (named Gypsy element) as an inverted long...