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Chisca M, Larouche JD, Xing Q, Kassiotis G. Antibodies against endogenous retroviruses. Immunol Rev 2024. [PMID: 39152687 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
The human genome harbors hundreds of thousands of integrations of ancient retroviruses, amassed over millions of years of evolution. To reduce further amplification in the genome, the host prevents transcription of these now endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) through epigenetic repression and, with evolutionary time, ERVs are incapacitated by accumulating mutations and deletions. However, several members of recently endogenized ERV groups still retain the capacity to produce viral RNA, retroviral proteins, and higher order structures, including virions. The retention of viral characteristics, combined with the reversible nature of epigenetic repression, particularly as seen in cancer, allow for immunologically unanticipated ERV expression, perceived by the adaptive immune system as a genuine retroviral infection, to which it has to respond. Accordingly, antibodies reactive with ERV antigens have been detected in diverse disorders and, occasionally, in healthy individuals. Although they are part of self, the retroviral legacy of ERV antigens, and association with and, possibly, causation of disease states may set them apart from typical self-antigens. Consequently, the pathogenic or, indeed, host-protective capacity of antibodies targeting ERV antigens is likely to be context-dependent. Here, we review the immunogenicity of typical ERV proteins, with emphasis on the antibody response and its potential disease implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Chisca
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Qi Xing
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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2
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Chen M, Yang C, Zhai X, Wang C, Liu M, Zhang B, Guo X, Wang Y, Li H, Liu Y, Han J, Wang X, Li J, Jia L, Li L. Comprehensive Identification and Characterization of HML-9 Group in Chimpanzee Genome. Viruses 2024; 16:892. [PMID: 38932184 PMCID: PMC11209481 DOI: 10.3390/v16060892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are related to long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, comprising gene sequences of exogenous retroviruses integrated into the host genome and inherited according to Mendelian law. They are considered to have contributed greatly to the evolution of host genome structure and function. We previously characterized HERV-K HML-9 in the human genome. However, the biological function of this type of element in the genome of the chimpanzee, which is the closest living relative of humans, largely remains elusive. Therefore, the current study aims to characterize HML-9 in the chimpanzee genome and to compare the results with those in the human genome. Firstly, we report the distribution and genetic structural characterization of the 26 proviral elements and 38 solo LTR elements of HML-9 in the chimpanzee genome. The results showed that the distribution of these elements displayed a non-random integration pattern, and only six elements maintained a relatively complete structure. Then, we analyze their phylogeny and reveal that the identified elements all cluster together with HML-9 references and with those identified in the human genome. The HML-9 integration time was estimated based on the 2-LTR approach, and the results showed that HML-9 elements were integrated into the chimpanzee genome between 14 and 36 million years ago and into the human genome between 18 and 49 mya. In addition, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory regions, and enriched PBS sequence features in the chimpanzee genome were predicted based on bioinformatics. The results show that pathways significantly enriched for ERV LTR-regulated genes found in the chimpanzee genome are closely associated with disease development, including neurological and neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders. In summary, the identification, characterization, and genomics of HML-9 presented here not only contribute to our understanding of the role of ERVs in primate evolution but also to our understanding of their biofunctional significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Chen
- National 111 Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China;
| | - Caiqin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xiuli Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Chunlei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Mengying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Bohan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yanglan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hanping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Yongjian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jingwan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jingyun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Lei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100071, China; (C.Y.); (X.Z.); (C.W.); (M.L.); (B.Z.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (H.L.); (Y.L.); (J.H.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
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Morais LV, dos Santos SN, Gomes TH, Malta Romano C, Colombo-Souza P, Amaral JB, Shio MT, Neves LM, Bachi ALL, França CN, Nali LHDS. Acute strength exercise training impacts differently the HERV-W expression and inflammatory biomarkers in resistance exercise training individuals. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303798. [PMID: 38753716 PMCID: PMC11098355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) are fossil viruses that composes 8% of the human genome and plays several important roles in human physiology, including muscle repair/myogenesis. It is believed that inflammation may also regulate HERV expression, and therefore may contribute in the muscle repair, especially after training exercise. Hence, this study aimed to assess the level of HERVs expression and inflammation profile in practitioners' resistance exercises after an acute strength training session. METHODS Healthy volunteers were separated in regular practitioners of resistance exercise training group (REG, n = 27) and non-trained individuals (Control Group, n = 20). All individuals performed a strength exercise section. Blood samples were collected before the exercise (T0) and 45 minutes after the training session (T1). HERV-K (HML1-10) and W were relatively quantified, cytokine concentration and circulating microparticles were assessed. RESULTS REG presented higher level of HERV-W expression (~2.5 fold change) than CG at T1 (p<0.01). No difference was observed in the levels of HERV-K expression between the groups as well as the time points. Higher serum TNF-α and IL-10 levels were verified post-training session in REG and CG (p<0.01), and in REG was found a positive correlation between the levels of TNF-α at T1 and IL-10 at T0 (p = 0.01). Finally, a lower endothelial microparticle percentage was observed in REG at T1 than in T0 (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION REG individuals exhibited a significant upregulation of HERV-W and modulation of inflammatory markers when compared to CG. This combined effect could potentially support the process of skeletal muscle repair in the exercised individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Vinicius Morais
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Tabatah Hellen Gomes
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Malta Romano
- Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP) LIM-52, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Jonatas Bussador Amaral
- ENT Research Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marina Tiemi Shio
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Melo Neves
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
- Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Carolina Nunes França
- Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences, Santo Amaro University, São Paulo, Brazil
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da Silva AL, Guedes BLM, Santos SN, Correa GF, Nardy A, Nali LHDS, Bachi ALL, Romano CM. Beyond pathogens: the intriguing genetic legacy of endogenous retroviruses in host physiology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1379962. [PMID: 38655281 PMCID: PMC11035796 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1379962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The notion that viruses played a crucial role in the evolution of life is not a new concept. However, more recent insights suggest that this perception might be even more expansive, highlighting the ongoing impact of viruses on host evolution. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are considered genomic remnants of ancient viral infections acquired throughout vertebrate evolution. Their exogenous counterparts once infected the host's germline cells, eventually leading to the permanent endogenization of their respective proviruses. The success of ERV colonization is evident so that it constitutes 8% of the human genome. Emerging genomic studies indicate that endogenous retroviruses are not merely remnants of past infections but rather play a corollary role, despite not fully understood, in host genetic regulation. This review presents some evidence supporting the crucial role of endogenous retroviruses in regulating host genetics. We explore the involvement of human ERVs (HERVs) in key physiological processes, from their precise and orchestrated activities during cellular differentiation and pluripotency to their contributions to aging and cellular senescence. Additionally, we discuss the costs associated with hosting a substantial amount of preserved viral genetic material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Lopes da Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Luiz Miranda Guedes
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel Nascimento Santos
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Francisco Correa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariane Nardy
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Andre Luis Lacerda Bachi
- UNISA Research Center, Universidade Santo Amaro, Post-Graduation in Health Sciences, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Malta Romano
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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5
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Soleimani-Jelodar R, Arashkia A, Shoja Z, Akhavan S, Yarandi F, Sharifian K, Farahmand M, Nili F, Jalilvand S. The expression analysis of human endogenous retrovirus-K Env, Np9, and Rec transcripts in cervical cancer. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29501. [PMID: 38445563 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
While infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types is necessary for cervical cancer (CC) development, it is not enough, and other risk factors are required. Several studies have reported the activation of HERV-K in different cancers; however, the investigation of HERV-K expression levels in CC is scarce. In this study, it was hypothesized that activation of HERV-K could play an essential role in CC development. In this order, the expression levels of HERV-K Env, Np9, and Rec transcripts were investigated on 147 normal to CC uterine cervical tissues using quantitative real-time PCR. The significantly higher levels of HERV-K Env and Np9 transcripts were found in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II-III and CC groups compared to those in the normal/CIN I group. Expression of Rec transcript was also higher only in the CC group than normal/CIN I group. Among CC patients, meaningfully higher levels of HERV-K Env and Np9 transcripts were found in patients with squamous cell carcinoma rather than in adenocarcinoma. When only the HPV 16 positive samples were investigated, it was found that the mean difference in Env and Np9 mRNA levels was meaningfully higher among precancer lesions and the cancer group in comparison with the normal group. However, the Rec mRNA level showed no significant differences. The association between the expression of HERV-K genes was investigated, and a significant positive correlation of Env expression with Np9 transcript was found only in the group with precancer lesions (R = 0.6, p = 0.0037). Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between Rec and Np9 transcripts in patients with normal cervix tissues (R = 0.26, p = 0.033). However, no correlations were observed between the expression of Env and Rec in the three groups. In conclusion, our results showed that HERV-K transcripts, especially Env and Np9, upregulated during cervical lesion progression. These findings highlight the potential use of HERV-K Env and Np9 as biomarkers for CC diagnosis and prognosis. Further investigation is needed to determine the clinical utility of these markers and whether targeting HERV-K oncogenes could be a viable therapeutic strategy for CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahim Soleimani-Jelodar
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arash Arashkia
- Department of Molecular Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zabihollah Shoja
- Department of Molecular Virology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setareh Akhavan
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Valiasr Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Yarandi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yas Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Sharifian
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Farahmand
- Research Center for Emergency and Disaster Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Nili
- Department of Pathology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Jalilvand
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Cocozza F, Martin‐Jaular L, Lippens L, Di Cicco A, Arribas YA, Ansart N, Dingli F, Richard M, Merle L, Jouve San Roman M, Poullet P, Loew D, Lévy D, Hendrix A, Kassiotis G, Joliot A, Tkach M, Théry C. Extracellular vesicles and co-isolated endogenous retroviruses from murine cancer cells differentially affect dendritic cells. EMBO J 2023; 42:e113590. [PMID: 38073509 PMCID: PMC10711651 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023113590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) and non-vesicular extracellular (nano)particles (NVEPs or ENPs) that may play a role in intercellular communication. Tumor-derived EVs have been proposed to induce immune priming of antigen presenting cells or to be immuno-suppressive agents. We suspect that such disparate functions are due to variable compositions in EV subtypes and ENPs. We aimed to characterize the array of secreted EVs and ENPs of murine tumor cell lines. Unexpectedly, we identified virus-like particles (VLPs) from endogenous murine leukemia virus in preparations of EVs produced by many tumor cells. We established a protocol to separate small EVs from VLPs and ENPs. We compared their protein composition and analyzed their functional interaction with target dendritic cells. ENPs were poorly captured and did not affect dendritic cells. Small EVs specifically induced dendritic cell death. A mixed large/dense EV/VLP preparation was most efficient to induce dendritic cell maturation and antigen presentation. Our results call for systematic re-evaluation of the respective proportions and functions of non-viral EVs and VLPs produced by murine tumors and their contribution to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Cocozza
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
- Université de ParisParisFrance
| | - Lorena Martin‐Jaular
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
- Institut Curie Centre de RechercheCurieCoreTech Extracellular VesiclesParisFrance
| | - Lien Lippens
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Human Structure and RepairGhent University, and Cancer Research Institute GhentGhentBelgium
| | - Aurelie Di Cicco
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico‐chimie CurieParisFrance
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT‐IBiSA)ParisFrance
| | - Yago A Arribas
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Nicolas Ansart
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Florent Dingli
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Centre de Recherche, CurieCoreTech Spectrométrie de Masse ProtéomiqueParisFrance
| | - Michael Richard
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Centre de Recherche, CurieCoreTech Spectrométrie de Masse ProtéomiqueParisFrance
| | - Louise Merle
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | | | - Patrick Poullet
- Institut Curie, Bioinformatics core facility (CUBIC), INSERM U900, PSL Research University, Mines Paris TechParisFrance
| | - Damarys Loew
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Centre de Recherche, CurieCoreTech Spectrométrie de Masse ProtéomiqueParisFrance
| | - Daniel Lévy
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico‐chimie CurieParisFrance
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT‐IBiSA)ParisFrance
| | - An Hendrix
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Human Structure and RepairGhent University, and Cancer Research Institute GhentGhentBelgium
| | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute and Department of Medicine, Faculty of MedicineImperial CollegeLondonUK
| | - Alain Joliot
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Mercedes Tkach
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Clotilde Théry
- INSERM U932, Institut Curie Centre de Recherche, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
- Institut Curie Centre de RechercheCurieCoreTech Extracellular VesiclesParisFrance
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7
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Shin W, Mun S, Han K. Human Endogenous Retrovirus-K (HML-2)-Related Genetic Variation: Human Genome Diversity and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2150. [PMID: 38136972 PMCID: PMC10742618 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) comprise a significant portion of the human genome, making up roughly 8%, a notable comparison to the 2-3% represented by coding sequences. Numerous studies have underscored the critical role and importance of HERVs, highlighting their diverse and extensive influence on the evolution of the human genome and establishing their complex correlation with various diseases. Among HERVs, the HERV-K (HML-2) subfamily has recently attracted significant attention, integrating into the human genome after the divergence between humans and chimpanzees. Its insertion in the human genome has received considerable attention due to its structural and functional characteristics and the time of insertion. Originating from ancient exogenous retroviruses, these elements succeeded in infecting germ cells, enabling vertical transmission and existing as proviruses within the genome. Remarkably, these sequences have retained the capacity to form complete viral sequences, exhibiting activity in transcription and translation. The HERV-K (HML-2) subfamily is the subject of active debate about its potential positive or negative effects on human genome evolution and various pathologies. This review summarizes the variation, regulation, and diseases in human genome evolution arising from the influence of HERV-K (HML-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonseok Shin
- NGS Clinical Laboratory, Division of Cancer Research, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea;
- Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea;
| | - Seyoung Mun
- Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea;
- College of Science & Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
- Center for Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyudong Han
- Smart Animal Bio Institute, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea;
- Center for Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science & Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioconvergence Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Republic of Korea
- R&D Center, HuNBiome Co., Ltd., Seoul 08507, Republic of Korea
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8
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Costa B, Vale N. Exploring HERV-K (HML-2) Influence in Cancer and Prospects for Therapeutic Interventions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14631. [PMID: 37834078 PMCID: PMC10572383 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This review investigates the intricate role of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in cancer development and progression, explicitly focusing on HERV-K (HML-2). This paper sheds light on the latest research advancements and potential treatment strategies by examining the historical context of HERVs and their involvement in critical biological processes such as embryonic development, immune response, and disease progression. This review covers computational modeling for drug-target binding assessment, systems biology modeling for simulating HERV-K viral cargo dynamics, and using antiviral drugs to combat HERV-induced diseases. The findings presented in this review contribute to our understanding of HERV-mediated disease mechanisms and provide insights into future therapeutic approaches. They emphasize why HERV-K holds significant promise as a biomarker and a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Costa
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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9
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Alkailani MI, Gibbings D. The Regulation and Immune Signature of Retrotransposons in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4340. [PMID: 37686616 PMCID: PMC10486412 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing technologies and the bioinformatic analysis of big data facilitate the study of jumping genes' activity in the human genome in cancer from a broad perspective. Retrotransposons, which move from one genomic site to another by a copy-and-paste mechanism, are regulated by various molecular pathways that may be disrupted during tumorigenesis. Active retrotransposons can stimulate type I IFN responses. Although accumulated evidence suggests that retrotransposons can induce inflammation, the research investigating the exact mechanism of triggering these responses is ongoing. Understanding these mechanisms could improve the therapeutic management of cancer through the use of retrotransposon-induced inflammation as a tool to instigate immune responses to tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maisa I. Alkailani
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha P.O. Box 34110, Qatar
| | - Derrick Gibbings
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada;
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10
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Romerio F. Origin and functional role of antisense transcription in endogenous and exogenous retroviruses. Retrovirology 2023; 20:6. [PMID: 37194028 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-023-00622-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Most proteins expressed by endogenous and exogenous retroviruses are encoded in the sense (positive) strand of the genome and are under the control of regulatory elements within the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR). A number of retroviral genomes also encode genes in the antisense (negative) strand and their expression is under the control of negative sense promoters within the 3' LTR. In the case of the Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus 1 (HTLV-1), the antisense protein HBZ has been shown to play a critical role in the virus lifecycle and in the pathogenic process, while the function of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) antisense protein ASP remains unknown. However, the expression of 3' LTR-driven antisense transcripts is not always demonstrably associated with the presence of an antisense open reading frame encoding a viral protein. Moreover, even in the case of retroviruses that do express an antisense protein, such as HTLV-1 and the pandemic strains of HIV-1, the 3' LTR-driven antisense transcript shows both protein-coding and noncoding activities. Indeed, the ability to express antisense transcripts appears to be phylogenetically more widespread among endogenous and exogenous retroviruses than the presence of a functional antisense open reading frame within these transcripts. This suggests that retroviral antisense transcripts may have originated as noncoding molecules with regulatory activity that in some cases later acquired protein-coding function. Here, we will review examples of endogenous and exogenous retroviral antisense transcripts, and the ways through which they benefit viral persistence in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Romerio
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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11
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Abstract
Our defenses against infection rely on the ability of the immune system to distinguish invading pathogens from self. This task is exceptionally challenging, if not seemingly impossible, in the case of retroviruses that have integrated almost seamlessly into the host. This review examines the limits of innate and adaptive immune responses elicited by endogenous retroviruses and other retroelements, the targets of immune recognition, and the consequences for host health and disease. Contrary to theoretical expectation, endogenous retroelements retain substantial immunogenicity, which manifests most profoundly when their epigenetic repression is compromised, contributing to autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease and age-related inflammation. Nevertheless, recent evidence suggests that regulated immune reactivity to endogenous retroelements is integral to immune system development and function, underpinning cancer immunosurveillance, resistance to infection, and responses to the microbiota. Elucidation of the interaction points with endogenous retroelements will therefore deepen our understanding of immune system function and contribution to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom;
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Hosseiniporgham S, Sechi LA. Anti-HERV-K Drugs and Vaccines, Possible Therapies against Tumors. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040751. [PMID: 37112663 PMCID: PMC10144246 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The footprint of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), specifically HERV-K, has been found in malignancies, such as melanoma, teratocarcinoma, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, lymphoma, and ovary and prostate cancers. HERV-K is characterized as the most biologically active HERV due to possession of open reading frames (ORF) for all Gag, Pol, and Env genes, which enables it to be more infective and obstructive towards specific cell lines and other exogenous viruses, respectively. Some factors might contribute to carcinogenicity and at least one of them has been recognized in various tumors, including overexpression/methylation of long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1), HERV-K Gag, and Env genes themselves plus their transcripts and protein products, and HERV-K reverse transcriptase (RT). Therapies effective for HERV-K-associated tumors mostly target invasive autoimmune responses or growth of tumors through suppression of HERV-K Gag or Env protein and RT. To design new therapeutic options, more studies are needed to better understand whether HERV-K and its products (Gag/Env transcripts and HERV-K proteins/RT) are the initiators of tumor formation or just the disorder’s developers. Accordingly, this review aims to present evidence that highlights the association between HERV-K and tumorigenicity and introduces some of the available or potential therapies against HERV-K-induced tumors.
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13
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Stricker E, Peckham-Gregory EC, Scheurer ME. HERVs and Cancer-A Comprehensive Review of the Relationship of Human Endogenous Retroviruses and Human Cancers. Biomedicines 2023; 11:936. [PMID: 36979914 PMCID: PMC10046157 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability and genetic mutations can lead to exhibition of several cancer hallmarks in affected cells such as sustained proliferative signaling, evasion of growth suppression, activated invasion, deregulation of cellular energetics, and avoidance of immune destruction. Similar biological changes have been observed to be a result of pathogenic viruses and, in some cases, have been linked to virus-induced cancers. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), once external pathogens, now occupy more than 8% of the human genome, representing the merge of genomic and external factors. In this review, we outline all reported effects of HERVs on cancer development and discuss the HERV targets most suitable for cancer treatments as well as ongoing clinical trials for HERV-targeting drugs. We reviewed all currently available reports of the effects of HERVs on human cancers including solid tumors, lymphomas, and leukemias. Our review highlights the central roles of HERV genes, such as gag, env, pol, np9, and rec in immune regulation, checkpoint blockade, cell differentiation, cell fusion, proliferation, metastasis, and cell transformation. In addition, we summarize the involvement of HERV long terminal repeat (LTR) regions in transcriptional regulation, creation of fusion proteins, expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and promotion of genome instability through recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Stricker
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77047, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77047, USA
| | | | - Michael E. Scheurer
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77047, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77047, USA
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14
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Dhillon P, Mulholland KA, Hu H, Park J, Sheng X, Abedini A, Liu H, Vassalotti A, Wu J, Susztak K. Increased levels of endogenous retroviruses trigger fibroinflammation and play a role in kidney disease development. Nat Commun 2023; 14:559. [PMID: 36732547 PMCID: PMC9895454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a common feature of all forms of chronic kidney disease; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Evolutionarily inherited endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have the potential to trigger an immune reaction. Comprehensive RNA-sequencing of control and diseased kidneys from human and mouse disease models indicated higher expression of transposable elements (TEs) and ERVs in diseased kidneys. Loss of cytosine methylation causing epigenetic derepression likely contributes to an increase in ERV levels. Genetic deletion/pharmacological inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) induces ERV expression. In cultured kidney tubule cells, ERVs elicit the activation of cytosolic nucleotide sensors such as RIG-I, MDA5, and STING. ERVs expressions in kidney tubules trigger RIG-I/STING, and cytokine expression, and correlate with the presence of immune cells. Genetic deletion of RIG-I or STING or treatment with reverse transcriptase inhibitor ameliorates kidney fibroinflammation. Our data indicate an important role of epigenetic derepression-induced ERV activation triggering renal fibroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Dhillon
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Kelly Ann Mulholland
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Hailong Hu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Jihwan Park
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Xin Sheng
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Amin Abedini
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Hongbo Liu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Allison Vassalotti
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Junnan Wu
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA
| | - Katalin Susztak
- Renal, Electrolyte, and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
- Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19014, USA.
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15
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Liu X, Liu Z, Wu Z, Ren J, Fan Y, Sun L, Cao G, Niu Y, Zhang B, Ji Q, Jiang X, Wang C, Wang Q, Ji Z, Li L, Esteban CR, Yan K, Li W, Cai Y, Wang S, Zheng A, Zhang YE, Tan S, Cai Y, Song M, Lu F, Tang F, Ji W, Zhou Q, Belmonte JCI, Zhang W, Qu J, Liu GH. Resurrection of endogenous retroviruses during aging reinforces senescence. Cell 2023; 186:287-304.e26. [PMID: 36610399 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Whether and how certain transposable elements with viral origins, such as endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) dormant in our genomes, can become awakened and contribute to the aging process is largely unknown. In human senescent cells, we found that HERVK (HML-2), the most recently integrated human ERVs, are unlocked to transcribe viral genes and produce retrovirus-like particles (RVLPs). These HERVK RVLPs constitute a transmissible message to elicit senescence phenotypes in young cells, which can be blocked by neutralizing antibodies. The activation of ERVs was also observed in organs of aged primates and mice as well as in human tissues and serum from the elderly. Their repression alleviates cellular senescence and tissue degeneration and, to some extent, organismal aging. These findings indicate that the resurrection of ERVs is a hallmark and driving force of cellular senescence and tissue aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zunpeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zeming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanling Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liang Sun
- NHC Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, NHC Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Center of Gerontology/Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Gang Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Baohu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianzhao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiaoran Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhejun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lanzhu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Kaowen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Li
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yusheng Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Si Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing 100053, China; The Fifth People's Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing 400062, China
| | - Aihua Zheng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yong E Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shengjun Tan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yingao Cai
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Moshi Song
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Falong Lu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fuchou Tang
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Weizhi Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Weiqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Jing Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Institute for Stem cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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16
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Drekolia MK, Talyan S, Cordellini Emídio R, Boon RA, Guenther S, Looso M, Dumbović G, Bibli SI. Unravelling the impact of aging on the human endothelial lncRNA transcriptome. Front Genet 2022; 13:1035380. [PMID: 36338971 PMCID: PMC9634578 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1035380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease is highest among the elderly. There is a need to further understand the mechanisms behind endothelial cell aging in order to achieve vascular rejuvenation and minimize the onset of age-related vascular diseases. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proposed to regulate numerous processes in the human genome, yet their function in vascular aging and their therapeutic potential remain largely unknown. This is primarily because the majority of studies investigating the impact of aging on lncRNA expression heavily rely on in vitro studies based on replicative senescence. Here, using a unique collection of young and aged endothelial cells isolated from native human arteries, we sought to characterize the age-related alterations in lncRNA expression profiles. We were able to detect a total of 4463 lncRNAs expressed in the human endothelium from which ∼17% (798) were altered in advanced age. One of the most affected lncRNAs in aging was the primate-specific, Prostate Cancer Associated Transcript (PCAT) 14. In our follow up analysis, using single molecule RNA FISH, we showed that PCAT14 is relatively abundant, localized almost exclusively in the nucleus of young endothelial cells, and silenced in the aged endothelium. Functionally, our studies proposed that downregulation of PCAT14 alters endothelial cell transcription profile and cell functions including endothelial cell migration, sprouting and inflammatory responses in vitro. Taken together, our data highlight that endothelial cell aging correlates with altered expression of lncRNAs, which could impair the endothelial regenerative capacity and enhance inflammatory phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Kyriaki Drekolia
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sweta Talyan
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | - Reinier Abraham Boon
- Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhein/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Guenther
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhein/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- Bioinformatics Core Unit, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhein/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gabrijela Dumbović
- Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sofia-Iris Bibli, ; Gabrijela Dumbović,
| | - Sofia-Iris Bibli
- Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhein/Main, Frankfurt, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sofia-Iris Bibli, ; Gabrijela Dumbović,
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17
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Rivas SR, Valdez MJM, Govindarajan V, Seetharam D, Doucet-O’Hare TT, Heiss JD, Shah AH. The Role of HERV-K in Cancer Stemness. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092019. [PMID: 36146825 PMCID: PMC9504571 DOI: 10.3390/v14092019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retrovirus-K (HERV-K) is the most recently integrated retrovirus in the human genome, with implications for multiple disorders, including cancer. Although typically transcriptionally silenced in normal adult cells, dysregulation of HERV-K (HML-2) elements has been observed in cancer, including breast, germ cell tumors, pancreatic, melanoma, and brain cancer. While multiple methods of carcinogenesis have been proposed, here we discuss the role of HERV-K (HML-2) in the promotion and maintenance of the stem-cell in cancer. Aberrant expression of HERV-K has been shown to promote expression of stem cell markers and promote dedifferentiation. In this review, we discuss HERV-K (HML-2) as a potential therapeutic target based on evidence that some tumors depend on the expression of its proteins for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Rivas
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Correspondence: (S.R.R.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Mynor J. Mendez Valdez
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Vaidya Govindarajan
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Deepa Seetharam
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tara T. Doucet-O’Hare
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John D. Heiss
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashish H. Shah
- Section of Virology and Immunotherapy, Department of Neurosurgery, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Correspondence: (S.R.R.); (A.H.S.)
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18
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Wei Y, Wei H, Wei Y, Tan A, Chen X, Liao X, Xie B, Wei X, Li L, Liu Z, Dai S, Khan A, Pang X, Hassan NMA, Xiong K, Zhang K, Leng J, Lv J, Hu Y. Screening and Identification of Human Endogenous Retrovirus-K mRNAs for Breast Cancer Through Integrative Analysis of Multiple Datasets. Front Oncol 2022; 12:820883. [PMID: 35265522 PMCID: PMC8900282 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.820883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) make up 8% of the human genome. HERVs are biologically active elements related to multiple diseases. HERV-K, a subfamily of HERVs, has been associated with certain types of cancer and suggested as an immunologic target in some tumors. The expression levels of HERV-K in breast cancer (BCa) have been studied as biomarkers and immunologic therapeutic targets. However, HERV-K has multiple copies in the human genome, and few studies determined the transcriptional profile of HERV-K copies across the human genome for BCa. Methods Ninety-one HERV-K indexes with entire proviral sequences were used as the reference database. Nine raw sequencing datasets with 243 BCa and 137 control samples were mapped to this database by Salmon software. The differential proviral expression across several groups was analyzed by DESeq2 software. Results First, the clustering of each dataset demonstrated that these 91 HERV-K proviruses could well cluster the BCa and control samples when the normal controls were normal cells or healthy donor tissues. Second, several common HERV-K proviruses that are closely related with BCa risk were significantly differentially expressed (padj < 0.05 and absolute log2FC > 1.5) in the tissues and cell lines. Additionally, almost all the HERV-K proviruses had higher expression in BCa tissue than in healthy donor tissue. Notably, we first found the expression of 17p13.1 provirus that located with TP53 should regulate TP53 expression in ER+ and HER2+ BCa. Conclusion The expression profiling of these 91 HERV-K proviruses can be used as biomarkers to distinguish individuals with BCa and healthy controls. Some proviruses, especially 17p13.1, were strongly associated with BCa risk. The results suggest that HERV-K expression profiles may be appropriate biomarkers and targets for BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongzhong Wei
- Guangxi Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Chest Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China
| | - Huilin Wei
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yinfeng Wei
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Aihua Tan
- Department of Chemotherapy, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiuyong Chen
- Guangxi Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Chest Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China
| | - Xiuquan Liao
- Guangxi Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Chest Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China
| | - Bo Xie
- Guangxi Medical University School of Information and Management, Nanning, China
| | - Xihua Wei
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lanxiang Li
- Basic Medical College of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zengjing Liu
- Guangxi Medical University School of Information and Management, Nanning, China
| | - Shengkang Dai
- Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Adil Khan
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xianwu Pang
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine (Guangxi-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Disease Prevention and Treatment), Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Nada M. A. Hassan
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Kai Xiong
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine (Guangxi-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Disease Prevention and Treatment), Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Guangxi Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Chest Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China
| | - Jing Leng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine for Treating High-Incidence Infectious Diseases With Integrative Medicine, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Jiannan Lv
- Guangxi Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Chest Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yanling Hu, ; Jiannan Lv,
| | - Yanling Hu
- Institute of Life Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- *Correspondence: Yanling Hu, ; Jiannan Lv,
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19
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Müller MD, Holst PJ, Nielsen KN. A Systematic Review of Expression and Immunogenicity of Human Endogenous Retroviral Proteins in Cancer and Discussion of Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1330. [PMID: 35163254 PMCID: PMC8836156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that have become fixed in the human genome. While HERV genes are typically silenced in healthy somatic cells, there are numerous reports of HERV transcription and translation across a wide spectrum of cancers, while T and B cell responses against HERV proteins have been detected in cancer patients. This review systematically categorizes the published evidence on the expression of and adaptive immune response against specific HERVs in distinct cancer types. A systematic literature search was performed using Medical Search Headings (MeSH) in the PubMed/Medline database. Papers were included if they described the translational activity of HERVs. We present multiple tables that pair the protein expression of specific HERVs and cancer types with information on the quality of the evidence. We find that HERV-K is the most investigated HERV. HERV-W (syncytin-1) is the second-most investigated, while other HERVs have received less attention. From a therapeutic perspective, HERV-K and HERV-E are the only HERVs with experimental demonstration of effective targeted therapies, but unspecific approaches using antiviral and demethylating agents in combination with chemo- and immunotherapies have also been investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Dons Müller
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark;
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20
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Durnaoglu S, Lee SK, Ahnn J. Human Endogenous Retroviruses as Gene Expression Regulators: Insights from Animal Models into Human Diseases. Mol Cells 2021; 44:861-878. [PMID: 34963103 PMCID: PMC8718366 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2021.5016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The human genome contains many retroviral elements called human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), resulting from the integration of retroviruses throughout evolution. HERVs once were considered inactive junk because they are not replication-competent, primarily localized in the heterochromatin, and silenced by methylation. But HERVs are now clearly shown to actively regulate gene expression in various physiological and pathological conditions such as developmental processes, immune regulation, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and neurological disorders. Recent studies report that HERVs are activated in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection. In this review, we describe internal and external factors that influence HERV activities. We also present evidence showing the gene regulatory activity of HERV LTRs (long terminal repeats) in model organisms such as mice, rats, zebrafish, and invertebrate models of worms and flies. Finally, we discuss several molecular and cellular pathways involving various transcription factors and receptors, through which HERVs affect downstream cellular and physiological events such as epigenetic modifications, calcium influx, protein phosphorylation, and cytokine release. Understanding how HERVs participate in various physiological and pathological processes will help develop a strategy to generate effective therapeutic approaches targeting HERVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serpen Durnaoglu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Sun-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Joohong Ahnn
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Research Institute for Natural Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
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21
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Human Recombinant DNase I (Pulmozyme ®) Inhibits Lung Metastases in Murine Metastatic B16 Melanoma Model That Correlates with Restoration of the DNase Activity and the Decrease SINE/LINE and c-Myc Fragments in Blood Cell-Free DNA. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222112074. [PMID: 34769514 PMCID: PMC8585023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated cell-free DNAs (cfDNA) play an important role in the promotion of metastases. Previous studies proved the high antimetastatic potential of bovine pancreatic DNase I and identified short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) and long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs)and fragments of oncogenes in cfDNA as the main molecular targets of enzyme in the bloodstream. Here, recombinant human DNase I (commercial name Pulmozyme®), which is used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis in humans, was repurposed for the inhibition of lung metastases in the B16 melanoma model in mice. We found that Pulmozyme® strongly reduced migration and induced apoptosis of B16 cells in vitro and effectively inhibited metastases in lungs and liver in vivo. Pulmozyme® was shown to be two times more effective when administered intranasally (i.n.) than bovine DNase I, but intramuscular (i.m.) administration forced it to exhibit as high an antimetastatic activity as bovine DNase I. Both DNases administered to mice either i.m. or i.n. enhanced the DNase activity of blood serum to the level of healthy animals, significantly decreased cfDNA concentrations, efficiently degraded SINE and LINE repeats and c-Myc fragments in the bloodstream and induced apoptosis and disintegration of neutrophil extracellular traps in metastatic foci; as a result, this manifested as the inhibition of metastases spread. Thus, Pulmozyme®, which is already an approved drug, can be recommended for use in the treatment of lung metastases.
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22
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Bou-Dargham MJ, Draughon S, Cantrell V, Khamis ZI, Sang QXA. Advancements in Human Breast Cancer Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy. J Cancer 2021; 12:6949-6963. [PMID: 34729098 PMCID: PMC8558657 DOI: 10.7150/jca.64205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human breast cancer treatment regimens have evolved greatly due to the significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms and pathways of the common subtypes of breast cancer. In this review, we discuss recent progress in breast cancer targeted therapy and immunotherapy as well as ongoing clinical trials. We also highlight the potential of combination therapies and personalized approaches to improve clinical outcomes. Targeted therapies have surpassed the hormone receptors and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) to include many other molecules in targetable pathways such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6). However, resistance to targeted therapy persists, underpinning the need for more efficacious therapies. Immunotherapy is considered a milestone in breast cancer treatments, including the engineered immune cells (CAR-T cell therapy) to better target the tumor cells, vaccines to stimulate the patient's immune system against tumor antigens, and checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA4) to block molecules that mediate immune inhibition. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy tested in breast cancer clinical trials are discussed here, with special emphasis on combinatorial approaches which are believed to maximize treatment efficacy and enhance patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayassa J Bou-Dargham
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sophia Draughon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Vance Cantrell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Zahraa I Khamis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences-I, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Qing-Xiang Amy Sang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America.,Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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23
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Maung MT, Carlson A, Olea-Flores M, Elkhadragy L, Schachtschneider KM, Navarro-Tito N, Padilla-Benavides T. The molecular and cellular basis of copper dysregulation and its relationship with human pathologies. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21810. [PMID: 34390520 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100273rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for the activity of redox-active enzymes involved in critical metabolic reactions, signaling pathways, and biological functions. Transporters and chaperones control Cu ion levels and bioavailability to ensure proper subcellular and systemic Cu distribution. Intensive research has focused on understanding how mammalian cells maintain Cu homeostasis, and how molecular signals coordinate Cu acquisition and storage within organs. In humans, mutations of genes that regulate Cu homeostasis or facilitate interactions with Cu ions lead to numerous pathologic conditions. Malfunctions of the Cu+ -transporting ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B cause Menkes disease and Wilson disease, respectively. Additionally, defects in the mitochondrial and cellular distributions and homeostasis of Cu lead to severe neurodegenerative conditions, mitochondrial myopathies, and metabolic diseases. Cu has a dual nature in carcinogenesis as a promotor of tumor growth and an inducer of redox stress in cancer cells. Cu also plays role in cancer treatment as a component of drugs and a regulator of drug sensitivity and uptake. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of Cu metabolism and transport and its relation to various human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- May T Maung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Alyssa Carlson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Monserrat Olea-Flores
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Lobna Elkhadragy
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kyle M Schachtschneider
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Napoleon Navarro-Tito
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
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24
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Ko EJ, Song KS, Ock MS, Choi YH, Kim S, Kim HS, Cha HJ. Expression profiles of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancers. BMB Rep 2021. [PMID: 33691904 PMCID: PMC8328825 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.7.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate genome contains an endogenous retrovirus that has been inherited from the past millions of years. Although approximately 8% of human chromosomal DNA consists of sequences derived from human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) fragments, most of the HERVs are currently inactive and non-infectious due to recombination, deletions, and mutations after insertion into the host genome. Several studies suggested that Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) factors are significantly related to certain cancers. However, only limited studies have been conducted to analyze the expression of HERV derived elements at protein levels in certain cancers. Herein, we analyzed the expression profiles of HERV-K envelope (Env) and HERV-R Env proteins in eleven different kinds of cancer tissues. Furthermore, the expression patterns of both protein and correlation with various clinical data in each tissue were analyzed. The expressions of both HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env protein were identified to be significantly high in most of the tumors compared with normal surrounding tissues. Correlations between HERV Env expressions and clinical investigations varied depending on the HERV types and cancers. Overall expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env proteins were different in every individual but a similar pattern of expressions was observed in the same individual. These results demonstrate the expression profiles of HERV-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancer tissues and provide a good reference for the association of endogenous retroviral Env proteins in the progression of various cancers. Furthermore, the results elucidate the relationship between HERV-Env expression and the clinical significance of certain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Ko
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Kyoung Seob Song
- Department of Physiology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Mee Sun Ock
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Korea
| | - Suhkmann Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Hee-Jae Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
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25
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Ko EJ, Song KS, Ock MS, Choi YH, Kim S, Kim HS, Cha HJ. Expression profiles of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancers. BMB Rep 2021; 54:368-373. [PMID: 33691904 PMCID: PMC8328825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate genome contains an endogenous retrovirus that has been inherited from the past millions of years. Although approximately 8% of human chromosomal DNA consists of sequences derived from human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) fragments, most of the HERVs are currently inactive and noninfectious due to recombination, deletions, and mutations after insertion into the host genome. Several studies suggested that Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) factors are significantly related to certain cancers. However, only limited studies have been conducted to analyze the expression of HERV derived elements at protein levels in certain cancers. Herein, we analyzed the expression profiles of HERV-K envelope (Env) and HERV-R Env proteins in eleven different kinds of cancer tissues. Furthermore, the expression patterns of both protein and correlation with various clinical data in each tissue were analyzed. The expressions of both HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env protein were identified to be significantly high in most of the tumors compared with normal surrounding tissues. Correlations between HERV Env expressions and clinical investigations varied depending on the HERV types and cancers. Overall expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env proteins were different in every individual but a similar pattern of expressions was observed in the same individual. These results demonstrate the expression profiles of HERV-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancer tissues and provide a good reference for the association of endogenous retroviral Env proteins in the progression of various cancers. Furthermore, the results elucidate the relationship between HERV-Env expression and the clinical significance of certain cancers. [BMB Reports 2021; 54(7): 368-373].
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Ko
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Kyoung Seob Song
- Department of Physiology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Mee Sun Ock
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Korea
| | - Suhkmann Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Hee-Jae Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
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26
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SMARCB1 deletion in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors results in human endogenous retrovirus K (HML-2) expression. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12893. [PMID: 34145313 PMCID: PMC8213802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92223-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) is a rare pediatric central nervous system cancer often characterized by deletion or mutation of SMARCB1, a tumor suppressor gene. In this study, we found that SMARCB1 regulates Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HERV-K, subtype HML-2) expression. HML-2 is a repetitive element scattered throughout the human genome, encoding several intact viral proteins that have been associated with stem cell maintenance and tumorigenesis. We found HML-2 env expression in both the intracellular and extracellular compartments in all AT/RT cell lines (n = 4) and in 95% of AT/RT patient tissues (n = 37) evaluated. SMARCB1 knock-down in neural stem cells (NSCs) led to an upregulation of HML-2 transcription. We found that SMARCB1 binds adjacent to the HML-2 promoter, repressing its transcription via chromatin immunoprecipitation; restoration of SMARCB1 expression in AT/RT cell lines significantly downregulated HML-2 expression. Further, targeted downregulation of HML-2 transcription via CRISPR-dCas9 coupled with suppressor proteins led to cellular dispersion, decreased proliferation, and cell death in vitro. HML-2 knock-down with shRNA, siRNA, and CRISPR-dCas9 significantly decreased Ras expression as measured by qRT-PCR, suggesting that HML-2 modulates MAPK/ERK signaling in AT/RT cells. Overexpression of NRAS was sufficient to restore cellular proliferation, and MYC, a transcription factor downstream of NRAS, was bound to the HERV-K LTR significantly more in the absence of SMARCB1 expression in AT/RT cells. We show a mechanism by which these undifferentiated tumors remain pluripotent, and we demonstrate that their formation is aided by aberrant HML-2 activation, which is dependent on SMARCB1 and its interaction with MYC.
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27
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Dervan E, Bhattacharyya DD, McAuliffe JD, Khan FH, Glynn SA. Ancient Adversary - HERV-K (HML-2) in Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:658489. [PMID: 34055625 PMCID: PMC8155577 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.658489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), ancient integrations of exogenous viruses, make up 8% of our genome. Long thought of as mere vestigial genetic elements, evidence is now accumulating to suggest a potential functional role in numerous pathologies including neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, and multiple cancers. The youngest member of this group of transposable elements is HERV-K (HML-2). Like the majority of HERV sequences, significant post-insertional mutations have disarmed HERV-K (HML-2), preventing it from producing infectious viral particles. However, some insertions have retained limited coding capacity, and complete open reading frames for all its constituent proteins can be found throughout the genome. For this reason HERV-K (HML-2) has garnered more attention than its peers. The tight epigenetic control thought to suppress expression in healthy tissue is lost during carcinogenesis. Upregulation of HERV-K (HML-2) derived mRNA and protein has been reported in a variety of solid and liquid tumour types, and while causality has yet to be established, progressively more data are emerging to suggest this phenomenon may contribute to tumour growth and metastatic capacity. Herein we discuss its potential utility as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target in light of the current in vitro, in vivo and clinical evidence linking HERV-K (HML-2) to tumour progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eoin Dervan
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Dibyangana D Bhattacharyya
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland.,Laboratory of Cancer ImmunoMetabolism, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jake D McAuliffe
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Faizan H Khan
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
| | - Sharon A Glynn
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), Galway, Ireland
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28
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Engel K, Wieland L, Krüger A, Volkmer I, Cynis H, Emmer A, Staege MS. Identification of Differentially Expressed Human Endogenous Retrovirus Families in Human Leukemia and Lymphoma Cell Lines and Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:637981. [PMID: 33996550 PMCID: PMC8117144 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.637981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are becoming more and more relevant in cancer research and might be potential targets. The oncogenic potential of human ERVs (HERVs) has been recognized and includes immunosuppression, cell fusion, antigenicity of viral proteins, and regulation of neighboring genes. To decipher the role of HERVs in human cancers, we used a bioinformatics approach and analyzed RNA sequencing data from the LL-100 panel, covering 22 entities of hematopoietic neoplasias including T cell, B cell and myeloid malignancies. We compared HERV expression in this panel with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and normal blood cells. RNA sequencing data were mapped against a comprehensive synthetic viral metagenome with 116 HERV sequences from 14 different HERV families. Of these, 13 HERV families and elements were differently expressed in malignant hematopoietic cells and stem cells. We found transcriptional upregulation of HERVE family in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia and of HERVFc family in multiple myeloma/plasma cell leukemia (PCL). The HERVFc member HERVFc-1 was found transcriptionally active in the multiple myeloma cell line OPM-2 and also in the Hodgkin lymphoma cell line L-428. The expression of HERVFc-1 in L-428 cells was validated by qRT-PCR. We also confirm transcriptional downregulation of ERV3 in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia, and HERVK in acute monocytic and myelocytic leukemia and a depression of HERVF in all malignant entities. Most of the higher expressed HERV families could be detected in stem cells including HERVK (HML-2), HERV-like, HERVV, HERVT, ERV9, HERVW, HERVF, HERVMER, ERV3, HERVH and HERVPABLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Engel
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Lisa Wieland
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Anna Krüger
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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29
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Yuan Z, Yang Y, Zhang N, Soto C, Jiang X, An Z, Zheng WJ. Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Glioblastoma Multiforme. Microorganisms 2021; 9:764. [PMID: 33917421 PMCID: PMC8067472 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and deadly brain tumor. It is primarily diagnosed in the elderly and has a 5-year survival rate of less than 6% even with the most aggressive therapies. The lack of biomarkers has made the development of immunotherapy for GBM challenging. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are a group of viruses with long terminal repeat (LTR) elements, which are believed to be relics from ancient viral infections. Recent studies have found that those repetitive elements play important roles in regulating various biological processes. The differentially expressed LTR elements from HERVs are potential biomarkers for immunotherapy to treat GBM. However, the understanding of the LTR element expression in GBM is greatly lacking. METHODS We obtained 1077.4 GB of sequencing data from public databases. These data were generated from 111 GBM tissue studies, 30 GBM cell lines studies, and 45 normal brain tissues studies. We analyzed repetitive elements that were differentially expressed in GBM and normal brain samples. RESULTS We found that 48 LTR elements were differentially expressed (p-value < 0.05) between GBM and normal brain tissues, of which 46 were HERV elements. Among these 46 elements, 34 significantly changed HERVs belong to the ERV1 superfamily. Furthermore, 43 out of the 46 differentially expressed HERV elements were upregulated. CONCLUSION Our results indicate significant differential expression of many HERV LTR elements in GBM and normal brain tissues. Expression levels of these elements could be developed as biomarkers for GBM treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Yuan
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Yuntao Yang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Wenjin Jim Zheng
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
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30
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Kristensen MK, Christensen T. Regulation of the expression of human endogenous retroviruses: elements in fetal development and a possible role in the development of cancer and neurological diseases. APMIS 2021; 129:241-253. [PMID: 33683784 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral germline infections. Most HERV sequences are silenced in somatic cells, but interest is emerging on the involvement of HERV derived transcripts and proteins in human physiology and disease. A HERV-W encoded protein, syncytin-1, has been co-opted into fetal physiology, where it plays a role in trophoblast formation. Altered HERV transcription and expression of HERV derived proteins are associated with various cancer types and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The implication of HERVs as potential mediators of both health and disease suggests important roles of regulatory mechanisms and alterations of these in physiological and pathological processes. The regulation of HERV sequences is mediated by a wide variety of mechanisms, and the focus of this review is on selected aspects of these, including epigenetic mechanisms such as CpG methylation and histone modifications of the HP1-H3K9me axis, viral transactivation events, and regulatory perspectives of transient stimuli in the microenvironment. Increasing knowledge of the regulation of HERV sequences will not only contribute to the understanding of complex pathogeneses, but also may pinpoint potential targets for better diagnosis and treatment in complex diseases as MS.
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31
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Xu Y, Miller CP, Warren EH, Tykodi SS. Current status of antigen-specific T-cell immunotherapy for advanced renal-cell carcinoma. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:1882-1896. [PMID: 33667140 PMCID: PMC8189101 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1870846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In renal-cell carcinoma (RCC), tumor-reactive T-cell responses can occur spontaneously or in response to systemic immunotherapy with cytokines and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer vaccines and engineered T-cell therapies are designed to selectively augment tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses with the goal to elicit tumor regression and avoid toxicities associated with nonspecific immunotherapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the central role of T-cell immunity in the treatment of advanced RCC. Clinical outcomes for antigen-targeted vaccines or other T-cell-engaging therapies for RCC are summarized and evaluated, and emerging new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of antigen-specific therapy for RCC are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Xu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chris P Miller
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edus H Warren
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Scott S Tykodi
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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32
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Cambier L, Stachelek K, Triska M, Jubran R, Huang M, Li W, Zhang J, Li J, Cobrinik D. Extracellular vesicle-associated repetitive element DNAs as candidate osteosarcoma biomarkers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:94. [PMID: 33420117 PMCID: PMC7794510 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77398-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Despite that high-risk factors have been identified, no test for early detection is available. This study aimed to identify circulating nucleic acid sequences associated with serum extracellular vesicle (EV) preparations at the time of OS diagnosis, as a step towards an OS early detection assay. Sequencing of small nucleic acids extracted from serum EV preparations revealed increased representation of diverse repetitive element sequences in OS patient versus control sera. Analysis of a validation cohort using qPCR of PEG-precipitated EV preparations revealed the over-representation of HSATI, HSATII, LINE1-P1, and Charlie 3 at the DNA but not RNA level, with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) ≥ 0.90. HSATI and HSATII DNAs co-purified with EVs prepared by precipitation and size exclusion chromatography but not by exosome immunocapture, indicative of packaging in a non-exosomal complex. The consistent over-representation of EV-associated repetitive element DNA sequences suggests their potential utility as biomarkers for OS and perhaps other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Cambier
- The Vision Center and The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS163, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Kevin Stachelek
- The Vision Center and The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS163, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.,Cancer Biology and Genomics Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Martin Triska
- The Vision Center and The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS163, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Rima Jubran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Manyu Huang
- Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital)/Henan Provincial Orthopedic Institute, 82 Qiming Road, Luoyang, 471002, Henan, China
| | - Wuyin Li
- Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital)/Henan Provincial Orthopedic Institute, 82 Qiming Road, Luoyang, 471002, Henan, China
| | - Jianying Zhang
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Jitian Li
- Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital)/Henan Provincial Orthopedic Institute, 82 Qiming Road, Luoyang, 471002, Henan, China. .,Department of Biological Science, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA.
| | - David Cobrinik
- The Vision Center and The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, MS163, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA. .,Cancer Biology and Genomics Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. .,Department of Ophthalmology and Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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33
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Wu B, Gan Y, Xu Y, Wu Z, Xu G, Wang P, Wang C, Meng Z, Li M, Zhang J, Zhuang H, Zhang X, Yang L, Li J, Gan X, Yu X, Huang W, Gu Y, Xu R. Identification of the novel Np17 oncogene in human leukemia. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:23647-23667. [PMID: 33226963 PMCID: PMC7762455 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We previously defined the HERV-K Np9 as a viral oncogene. Here we report the discovery of a novel oncogene, Np17, which is homologous to the viral Np9 gene and predominantly present in Hominoidea. Np17 is located on chromosome 8, consists of 7 exons, and encodes a 16.8kDa nuclear protein with149 amino-acid residue. Functionally, knockdown of Np17 induced growth inhibition of leukemia cells, whereas enforced expression of Np17 promoted growth of leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo. In human leukemia, Np17 was detected in 59.65% (34/57) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients examined and associated with refractory/relapsed AML. Mechanistically, Np17 decreased p53 levels and its mechanism might be involved in recruiting nuclear MDM2 to p53 for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. These findings reveal that Np17 is a novel oncogene associated with refractory/relapsed leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Wu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yichao Gan
- Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Zhaoxing Wu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Ganyu Xu
- College of Letters and Sciences, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Zhipeng Meng
- Molecular Oncology Program and Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Mengyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jiawei Zhang
- Molecular Oncology Program and Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Haifeng Zhuang
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Xuzhao Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Linlin Yang
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jinfan Li
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoxian Gan
- Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Xiaofang Yu
- Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Wendong Huang
- Molecular Oncology Program and Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ying Gu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Rongzhen Xu
- Department of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Cancer Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.,Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
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34
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Human Endogenous Retrovirus Expression Is Associated with Head and Neck Cancer and Differential Survival. Viruses 2020; 12:v12090956. [PMID: 32872377 PMCID: PMC7552064 DOI: 10.3390/v12090956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have been implicated in a variety of human diseases including cancers. However, technical challenges in analyzing HERV sequence data have limited locus-specific characterization of HERV expression. Here, we use the software Telescope (developed to identify expressed transposable elements from metatranscriptomic data) on 43 paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program to produce the first locus-specific retrotranscriptome of head and neck cancer. Telescope identified over 3000 expressed HERVs in tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and 1078 HERVs were differentially expressed between the two tissue types. The majority of differentially expressed HERVs were expressed at a higher level in tumor tissue. Differentially expressed HERVs were enriched in members of the HERVH family. Hierarchical clustering based on HERV expression in tumor-adjacent normal tissue resulted in two distinct clusters with significantly different survival probability. Together, these results highlight the importance of future work on the role of HERVs across a range of cancers.
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35
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Jeon KY, Ko EJ, Oh YL, Kim H, Eo WK, Kim A, Sun HG, Ock MS, Kim KH, Cha HJ. Analysis of KAP1 expression patterns and human endogenous retrovirus Env proteins in ovarian cancer. Genes Genomics 2020; 42:1145-1150. [PMID: 32785870 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-020-00979-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute around 8% of the human genome and have important roles in human health and disease, including cancers. Previous studies showed that HERV envelope (Env) proteins are highly expressed in cancer tissues and co-related with cancer progression. KAP1 has been reported to play a key role in regulating retrotransposons, including HERV-K, through epigenetic silencing. OBJECTIVE The relationship between KAP-1 and HERV Envs expressions was analyzed only in tumor cell lines and has not yet been studied in cancer tissues. In this study, we analyzed the expression patterns and relationship between KAP1 and HERV Env proteins in ovarian cancer tissues. METHOD The expression patterns of KAP-1 and HERV Env proteins, including HERV-K and HERV-R, were analyzed in ovarian cancer tissue microarrays that contained 80 surgical specimens, including normal ovary and malignant ovarian cancers. RESULTS The expression of HERV-R Env and KAP1 proteins is significantly higher in ovarian cancer compared with normal ovary tissues. However, the expression of HERV-K Env did not change significantly in cancer tissues. The expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env significantly increased in early stages of cancer and KAP1 expression was higher in certain stage and types of cancers. However, the expression of HERV-K Env, HERV-R Env, and KAP1 did not change in different age groups. The correlation between the expression of KAP1 and HERV-Env, including HERV-K and HERV-R, was not significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed that there was no significant correlation between the expression of KAP1 and HERV Env proteins in ovarian cancer tissues, unlike studies with cell lines in vitro. These results suggest that the actual expression of HERV Env proteins in ovarian cancer tissues may be regulated through various complex factors as well as KAP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Yoon Jeon
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea
| | - Eun-Ji Ko
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.,Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Young Lim Oh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea
| | - Hongbae Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical Center, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Wan Kyu Eo
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ari Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Vernon Hills, IL, USA
| | - Han Gyu Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ehwa Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Mee Sun Ock
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea
| | - Ki Hyung Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, South Korea.
| | - Hee-Jae Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea.
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36
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Salavatiha Z, Soleimani-Jelodar R, Jalilvand S. The role of endogenous retroviruses-K in human cancer. Rev Med Virol 2020; 30:1-13. [PMID: 32734655 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is known that human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute almost 8% of the human genome. Although the expression of HERVs from the human genome is tightly regulated, different exogenous and endogenous factors could trigger HERV activation. Aberrant expression of different HERVs may potentially cause a variety of diseases such as neurological and autoimmune diseases as well as cancer. It is suggested that HERV-K can induce cancer through different mechanisms that are discussed. The interplay between some tumor viruses and HERV-K seems to be a key player in progression of viral-associated cancers because elevated levels of Rec and Np9 proteins are observed in several cancers. The frequent over expression of HERV proteins and some specific antibodies in cancer cells could be considered as suitable prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of cancers. The expression of HERV proteins in cancers and development of immune responses against them may also be used as targets for cancer immunotherapy. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the role of HERVs in cancer formation and use of different HERV proteins in developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Salavatiha
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rahim Soleimani-Jelodar
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Jalilvand
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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37
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Xue B, Sechi LA, Kelvin DJ. Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HML-2) in Health and Disease. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1690. [PMID: 32765477 PMCID: PMC7380069 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are derived from exogenous retrovirus infections in the evolution of primates and account for about 8% of the human genome. They were considered as silent passengers within our genomes for a long time, however, reactivation of HERVs has been associated with tumors and autoimmune diseases, especially the HERV-K (HML-2) family, the most recent integration groups with the least number of mutations and the most biologically active to encode functional retroviral proteins and produce retrovirus-like particles. Increasing studies are committed to determining the potential role of HERV-K (HML-2) in pathogenicity. Although there is still no evidence for HERV-K (HML-2) as a direct cause of diseases, aberrant expression profiles of the HERV-K (HML-2) transcripts and their regulatory function to their proximal host-genes were identified in different diseases. In this review, we summarized the advances between HERV-K (HML-2) and diseases to provide basis for further studies on the causal relationship between HERV-K (HML-2) and diseases. We recommended more attention to polymorphic integrated HERV-K (HML-2) loci which could be genetic causative factors and be associated with inter-individual differences in tumorigenesis and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Xue
- Division of Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Leonardo A. Sechi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Mediterranean Center for Disease Control, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - David J. Kelvin
- Division of Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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38
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Vergara Bermejo A, Ragonnaud E, Daradoumis J, Holst P. Cancer Associated Endogenous Retroviruses: Ideal Immune Targets for Adenovirus-Based Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21144843. [PMID: 32650622 PMCID: PMC7402293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major challenge in our societies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 1/6 deaths were cancer related in 2018 and it is considered the second leading cause of death globally. Immunotherapies have changed the paradigm of oncologic treatment for several cancers where the field had fallen short in providing competent therapies. Despite the improvement, broadly acting and highly effective therapies capable of eliminating or preventing human cancers with insufficient mutated antigens are still missing. Adenoviral vector-based vaccines are a successful tool in the treatment of various diseases including cancer; however, their success has been limited. In this review we discuss the potential of adenovirus as therapeutic tools and the current developments to use them against cancer. More specifically, we examine how to use them to target endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). ERVs, comprising 8% of the human genome, have been detected in several cancers, while they remain silent in healthy tissues. Their low immunogenicity together with their immunosuppressive capacity aid cancer to escape immunosurveillance. In that regard, virus-like-vaccine (VLV) technology, combining adenoviral vectors and virus-like-particles (VLPs), can be ideal to target ERVs and elicit B-cell responses, as well as CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaia Vergara Bermejo
- InProTher, Bioinnovation Institute, Copenhagen Bio Science Park, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.R.); (J.D.)
- Correspondence: (A.V.B.); (P.H.)
| | - Emeline Ragonnaud
- InProTher, Bioinnovation Institute, Copenhagen Bio Science Park, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.R.); (J.D.)
| | - Joana Daradoumis
- InProTher, Bioinnovation Institute, Copenhagen Bio Science Park, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.R.); (J.D.)
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Holst
- InProTher, Bioinnovation Institute, Copenhagen Bio Science Park, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.R.); (J.D.)
- Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Correspondence: (A.V.B.); (P.H.)
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39
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Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Cancer: A Potential Biomarker and Immunotherapeutic Target. Viruses 2020; 12:v12070726. [PMID: 32640516 PMCID: PMC7412025 DOI: 10.3390/v12070726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In diseases where epigenetic mechanisms are changed, such as cancer, many genes show altered gene expression and inhibited genes become activated. Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) expression is usually inhibited in normal cells from healthy adults. In tumor cells, however, HERV-K mRNA expression has been frequently documented to increase. Importantly, HERV-K-derived proteins can act as tumor-specific antigens, a class of neoantigens, and induce immune responses in different types of cancer. In this review, we describe the function of the HERV-K HML-2 subtype in carcinogenesis as biomarkers, and their potential as targets for cancer immunotherapy.
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Ye X, Waite JC, Dhanik A, Gupta N, Zhong M, Adler C, Malahias E, Ni M, Wei Y, Gurer C, Zhang W, Macdonald LE, Murphy AJ, Sleeman MA, Skokos D. Endogenous retroviral proteins provide an immunodominant but not requisite antigen in a murine immunotherapy tumor model. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1758602. [PMID: 32923116 PMCID: PMC7458611 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1758602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical observations suggest that responses to cancer immunotherapy are correlated with intra-tumoral T cell receptor (TCR) clonality, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and host HLA genotype, highlighting the importance of host T cell recognition of tumor antigens. However, the dynamic interplay between T cell activation state and changes in TCR repertoire in driving the identification of potential immunodominant antigen(s) remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) using the murine colorectal tumor model MC38 to identify unique TCR sequences and validate their tumor reactivity. We found that the majority of clonally expanded TILs are tumor-reactive and their TCR repertoire is unique amongst individual MC38 tumor-bearing mice. Our query identified that multiple expanded TCR clones recognized the retroviral epitope p15E as an immunodominant antigen. In addition, we found that the endogenous retroviral genome encoding for p15E is highly expressed in MC38 tumors, but not in normal tissues, due to epigenetic derepression. Further, we demonstrated that the p15E-specific TILs exhibit an activated phenotype and an increase in frequency upon treatment with anti-41BB and anti-PD-1 combination immunotherapy. Importantly, we showed that although p15E-specific TILs are not required to mount a primary anti-tumor response, they contributed to the development of strong immune memory. Overall our results revealed that endogenous retroviral antigens expressed by tumor cells may represent an important and underappreciated category of tumor antigens that could be readily targeted in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Ye
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Janelle C Waite
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Ankur Dhanik
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Namita Gupta
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Maggie Zhong
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Christina Adler
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - Min Ni
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Yi Wei
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Cagan Gurer
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Wen Zhang
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Lynn E Macdonald
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Andrew J Murphy
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - Dimitris Skokos
- Cancer Immunology, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA
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Marasca F, Gasparotto E, Polimeni B, Vadalà R, Ranzani V, Bodega B. The Sophisticated Transcriptional Response Governed by Transposable Elements in Human Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093201. [PMID: 32366056 PMCID: PMC7247572 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs), which cover ~45% of the human genome, although firstly considered as “selfish” DNA, are nowadays recognized as driving forces in eukaryotic genome evolution. This capability resides in generating a plethora of sophisticated RNA regulatory networks that influence the cell type specific transcriptome in health and disease. Indeed, TEs are transcribed and their RNAs mediate multi-layered transcriptional regulatory functions in cellular identity establishment, but also in the regulation of cellular plasticity and adaptability to environmental cues, as occurs in the immune response. Moreover, TEs transcriptional deregulation also evolved to promote pathogenesis, as in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancers. Importantly, many of these findings have been achieved through the employment of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies and bioinformatic tools that are in continuous improvement to overcome the limitations of analyzing TEs sequences. However, they are highly homologous, and their annotation is still ambiguous. Here, we will review some of the most recent findings, questions and improvements to study at high resolution this intriguing portion of the human genome in health and diseases, opening the scenario to novel therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Marasca
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Erica Gasparotto
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Benedetto Polimeni
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Rebecca Vadalà
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
- Translational and Molecular Medicine, DIMET, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Valeria Ranzani
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
| | - Beatrice Bodega
- Fondazione INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare “Enrica e Romeo Invernizzi”, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.M.); (E.G.); (B.P.); (R.V.); (V.R.)
- Correspondence:
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Ebelt ND, Zuniga E, Johnson BL, Diamond DJ, Manuel ER. 5-Azacytidine Potentiates Anti-tumor Immunity in a Model of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2020; 11:538. [PMID: 32296439 PMCID: PMC7136411 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors evolve a variety of mechanisms to escape immune detection while expressing tumor-promoting molecules that can be immunogenic. Here, we show that transposable elements (TE) and gene encoded, tumor-associated antigens (TAA), which can be both highly immunogenic and tumor-promoting, are significantly upregulated during the transition from pre-malignancy to malignancy in an inducible model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Coincident with the increased presence of TEs and TAAs was the downregulation of gene transcripts associated with antigen presentation, T cell recruitment and intrinsic anti-viral responses, suggesting a unique strategy employed by PDAC to possibly augment tumorigenesis while escaping detection by the immune system. In vitro treatment of mouse and human PDAC cell lines with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-azacytidine (Aza) resulted in augmented expression of transcripts for antigen presentation machinery and T cell chemokines. When immunocompetent mice implanted with PDAC were therapeutically treated with Aza, we observed significant tumor regression that was not observed in immunocompromised mice, implicating anti-tumor immunity as the principal mechanism of tumor growth control. Analysis of PDAC tumors, immediately following Aza treatment in immunocompetent mice, revealed a significantly greater infiltration of T cells and various innate immune subsets compared to control treatment, suggesting that Aza treatment enhances tumor immunogenicity. Thus, augmenting antigen presentation and T cell chemokine expression using DNA methyltransferase inhibitors could be leveraged to potentiate adaptive anti-tumor immune responses against PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy D. Ebelt
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Edith Zuniga
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Benjamin L. Johnson
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Don J. Diamond
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Edwin R. Manuel
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
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Tatkiewicz W, Dickie J, Bedford F, Jones A, Atkin M, Kiernan M, Maze EA, Agit B, Farnham G, Kanapin A, Belshaw R. Characterising a human endogenous retrovirus(HERV)-derived tumour-associated antigen: enriched RNA-Seq analysis of HERV-K(HML-2) in mantle cell lymphoma cell lines. Mob DNA 2020; 11:9. [PMID: 32055257 PMCID: PMC7007669 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-0204-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cell-surface attachment protein (Env) of the HERV-K(HML-2) lineage of endogenous retroviruses is a potentially attractive tumour-associated antigen for anti-cancer immunotherapy. The human genome contains around 100 integrated copies (called proviruses or loci) of the HERV-K(HML-2) virus and we argue that it is important for therapy development to know which and how many of these contribute to protein expression, and how this varies across tissues. We measured relative provirus expression in HERV-K(HML-2), using enriched RNA-Seq analysis with both short- and long-read sequencing, in three Mantle Cell Lymphoma cell lines (JVM2, Granta519 and REC1). We also confirmed expression of the Env protein in two of our cell lines using Western blotting, and analysed provirus expression data from all other relevant published studies. RESULTS Firstly, in both our and other reanalysed studies, approximately 10% of the transcripts mapping to HERV-K(HML-2) came from Env-encoding proviruses. Secondly, in one cell line the majority of the protein expression appears to come from one provirus (12q14.1). Thirdly, we find a strong tissue-specific pattern of provirus expression. CONCLUSIONS A possible dependency of Env expression on a single provirus, combined with the earlier observation that this provirus is not present in all individuals and a general pattern of tissue-specific expression among proviruses, has serious implications for future HERV-K(HML-2)-targeted immunotherapy. Further research into HERV-K(HML-2) as a possible tumour-associated antigen in blood cancers requires a more targeted, proteome-based, screening protocol that will consider these polymorphisms within HERV-K(HML-2). We include a plan (and necessary alignments) for such work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Tatkiewicz
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - James Dickie
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Franchesca Bedford
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Alexander Jones
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Mark Atkin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Michele Kiernan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Emmanuel Atangana Maze
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Bora Agit
- Peninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Garry Farnham
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Alexander Kanapin
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Current address: Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Robert Belshaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
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Acton O, Grant T, Nicastro G, Ball NJ, Goldstone DC, Robertson LE, Sader K, Nans A, Ramos A, Stoye JP, Taylor IA, Rosenthal PB. Structural basis for Fullerene geometry in a human endogenous retrovirus capsid. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5822. [PMID: 31862888 PMCID: PMC6925226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13786-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The HML2 (HERV-K) group constitutes the most recently acquired family of human endogenous retroviruses, with many proviruses less than one million years old. Many maintain intact open reading frames and provirus expression together with HML2 particle formation are observed in early stage human embryo development and are associated with pluripotency as well as inflammatory disease, cancers and HIV-1 infection. Here, we reconstruct the core structural protein (CA) of an HML2 retrovirus, assemble particles in vitro and employ single particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine structures of four classes of CA Fullerene shell assemblies. These icosahedral and capsular assemblies reveal at high-resolution the molecular interactions that allow CA to form both pentamers and hexamers and show how invariant pentamers and structurally plastic hexamers associate to form the unique polyhedral structures found in retroviral cores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Acton
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tim Grant
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA
| | - Giuseppe Nicastro
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Neil J Ball
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David C Goldstone
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Laura E Robertson
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Kasim Sader
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Materials and Structural Analysis, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Nans
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Andres Ramos
- Division of Molecular Structure, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, NW7 1AA, UK
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Stoye
- Retrovirus-Host Interactions Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ian A Taylor
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
| | - Peter B Rosenthal
- Structural Biology of Cells and Viruses Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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The Concomitant Expression of Human Endogenous Retroviruses and Embryonic Genes in Cancer Cells under Microenvironmental Changes is a Potential Target for Antiretroviral Drugs. CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT 2019; 12:105-118. [PMID: 31691184 DOI: 10.1007/s12307-019-00231-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In our genomes there are thousands of copies of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) originated from the integration of exogenous retroviruses that infected germ line cells millions of years ago, and currently an altered expression of this elements has been associated to the onset, progression and acquisition of aggressiveness features of many cancers. The transcriptional reactivation of HERVs is mainly an effect of their responsiveness to some factors in cell microenvironment, such as nutrients, hormones and cytokines. We have already demonstrated that, under pressure of microenvironmental changes, HERV-K (HML-2) activation is required to maintain human melanoma cell plasticity and CD133+ cancer stem cells survival. In the present study, the transcriptional activity of HERV-K (HML-2), HERV-H, CD133 and the embryonic transcription factors OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 was evaluated during the in vitro treatment with antiretroviral drugs in cells from melanoma, liver and lung cancers exposed to microenvironmental changes. The exposure to stem cell medium induced a phenotype switching with the generation of sphere-like aggregates, characterized by the concomitant increase of HERV-K (HML-2) and HERV-H, CD133 and embryonic genes transcriptional activity. Although with heterogenic response among the different cell lines, the in vitro treatment with antiretroviral drugs affected HERVs transcriptional activity in parallel with the reduction of CD133 and embryonic genes expression, clonogenic activity and cell growth, accompanied by the induction of apoptosis. The responsiveness to antiretroviral drugs treatment of cancer cells with stemness features and expressing HERVs suggests the use of these drugs as innovative approach to treat aggressive tumours in combination with chemotherapeutic/radiotherapy regimens.
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Smith CC, Selitsky SR, Chai S, Armistead PM, Vincent BG, Serody JS. Alternative tumour-specific antigens. Nat Rev Cancer 2019; 19:465-478. [PMID: 31278396 PMCID: PMC6874891 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-019-0162-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The study of tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) as targets for antitumour therapies has accelerated within the past decade. The most commonly studied class of TSAs are those derived from non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), or SNV neoantigens. However, to increase the repertoire of available therapeutic TSA targets, 'alternative TSAs', defined here as high-specificity tumour antigens arising from non-SNV genomic sources, have recently been evaluated. Among these alternative TSAs are antigens derived from mutational frameshifts, splice variants, gene fusions, endogenous retroelements and other processes. Unlike the patient-specific nature of SNV neoantigens, some alternative TSAs may have the advantage of being widely shared by multiple tumours, allowing for universal, off-the-shelf therapies. In this Opinion article, we will outline the biology, available computational tools, preclinical and/or clinical studies and relevant cancers for each alternative TSA class, as well as discuss both current challenges preventing the therapeutic application of alternative TSAs and potential solutions to aid in their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof C Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sara R Selitsky
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Bioinformatics Core, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shengjie Chai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paul M Armistead
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Program in Computational Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Program in Computational Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Long interspersed nuclear element-1 mobilization as a target in cancer diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics. Clin Chim Acta 2019; 493:52-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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48
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Investigation of somatic single nucleotide variations in human endogenous retrovirus elements and their potential association with cancer. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213770. [PMID: 30934003 PMCID: PMC6443178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) have been investigated for potential links with human cancer. However, the distribution of somatic nucleotide variations in HERV elements has not been explored in detail. This study aims to identify HERV elements with an over-representation of somatic mutations (hot spots) in cancer patients. Four HERV elements with mutation hotspots were identified that overlap with exons of four human protein coding genes. These hotspots were identified based on the significant over-representation (p<8.62e-4) of non-synonymous single-nucleotide variations (nsSNVs). These genes are TNN (HERV-9/LTR12), OR4K15 (HERV-IP10F/LTR10F), ZNF99 (HERV-W/HERV17/LTR17), and KIR2DL1 (MST/MaLR). In an effort to identify mutations that effect survival, all nsSNVs were further evaluated and it was found that kidney cancer patients with mutation C2270G in ZNF99 have a significantly lower survival rate (hazard ratio = 2.6) compared to those without it. Among HERV elements in the human non-protein coding regions, we found 788 HERVs with significantly elevated numbers of somatic single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) (p<1.60e-5). From this category the top three HERV elements with significantly over-represented SNVs are HERV-H/LTR7, HERV-9/LTR12 and HERV-L/MLT2. Majority of the SNVs in these 788 HERV elements are located in three DNA functional groups: long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (60%), introns (22.2%) and transcriptional factor binding sites (TFBS) (14.8%). This study provides a list of mutational hotspots in HERVs, which could potentially be used as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Chan SM, Sapir T, Park SS, Rual JF, Contreras-Galindo R, Reiner O, Markovitz DM. The HERV-K accessory protein Np9 controls viability and migration of teratocarcinoma cells. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212970. [PMID: 30818388 PMCID: PMC6394991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses are remnants of ancient germline infections that make up approximately 8% of the modern human genome. The HERV-K (HML-2) family is one of the most recent entrants into the human germline, these viruses appear to be transcriptionally active, and HERV-K viral like particles (VLPs) are found in cell lines from a number of human malignancies. HERV-K VLPs were first found to be produced in teratocarcinoma cell lines, and since then teratocarcinoma has been thought of as the classical model for HERV-Ks, with the NCCIT teratocarcinoma cell line particularly known to produce VLPs. Treatment for teratocarcinoma has progressed since its discovery, with improved prognosis for patients. Since the introduction of platinum based therapy, first year survival has greatly improved even with disseminated disease; however, it is estimated that 20% to 30% of patients present with metastatic germ cell tumor relapse following initial treatments. Also, the toxicity associated with the use of chemotherapeutic agents used to treat germ cell tumors is still a major concern. In this study, we show that the depletion of the HERV-K accessory protein Np9 increases the sensitivity of NCCIT teratocarcinoma cells to bleomycin and cisplatin. While decreasing the expression of Np9 had only a modest effect on the baseline viability of the cells, the reduced expression of Np9 increased the sensitivity of the teratocarcinoma cells to environmental (serum starvation) and chemical (chemotherapeutic) stresses. Np9 is also essential to the migration of NCCIT teratocarcinoma cells: in a wound closure assay, reduced expression of Np9 resulted in cells migrating into the wound at a slower rate, whereas reintroduction of Np9 resulted in NCCIT cells migrating back into the wound in a manner similar to the control. These findings support the implication that the HERV-K accessory protein Np9 has oncogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana M. Chan
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Tamar Sapir
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sung-Soo Park
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jean-François Rual
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Rafael Contreras-Galindo
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Orly Reiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - David M. Markovitz
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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50
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Barth M, Gröger V, Cynis H, Staege MS. Identification of human endogenous retrovirus transcripts in Hodgkin Lymphoma cells. Mol Biol Rep 2019; 46:1885-1893. [PMID: 30707417 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04640-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
During the last decades, the prognosis for patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) has been steadily improved. Nevertheless, new and less toxic therapy strategies have to be developed especially for patients with advanced disease. The activation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) is suspected to occur in HL and therefore, HERV might represent interesting target structures. In order to identify transcribed HERV of the HERV-H and HERV-K families in HL we used a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction based cloning approach. In addition to unspliced HERV-H and HERV-K transcripts, we detected spliced HERV-K transcripts that matched genomic sequences with the expected splicing-donor and splicing-acceptor sites. Of particular interest was the expression of HERV-K18 related transcripts at the CD48 locus. Our data indicate transcriptional activity of several HERV loci in HL cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Barth
- University Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Pediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Victoria Gröger
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin Sebastian Staege
- University Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Pediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120, Halle, Germany.
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