1
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Cherkasova EA, Chen L, Childs RW. Mechanistic regulation of HERV activation in tumors and implications for translational research in oncology. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1358470. [PMID: 38379771 PMCID: PMC10877039 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1358470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcription of distinct loci of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and in some cases, translation of these transcripts have been consistently observed in many types of cancer. It is still debated whether HERV activation serves as a trigger for carcinogenesis or rather occurs as a consequence of epigenetic alterations and other molecular sequelae that characterize cellular transformation. Here we review the known molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of HERV activation in cancer cells as well as its potential contribution to carcinogenesis. Further, we describe the use of HERV expression in cancer diagnostic and characterize the potential of HERV-derived antigens to serve as novel targets for cancer immunotherapy. We believe this review, which summarizes both what is known as well as unknown in this rapidly developing field, will boost interest in research on the therapeutic potential of targeting HERV elements in tumors and the impact of HERV activation in oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard W. Childs
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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2
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Keighley LM, Lynch-Sutherland CF, Almomani SN, Eccles MR, Macaulay EC. Unveiling the hidden players: The crucial role of transposable elements in the placenta and their potential contribution to pre-eclampsia. Placenta 2023; 141:57-64. [PMID: 37301654 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The human placenta is a vital connection between maternal and fetal tissues, allowing for the exchange of molecules and modulation of immune interactions during pregnancy. Interestingly, some of the placenta's unique functions can be attributed to transposable elements (TEs), which are DNA sequences that have mobilised into the genome. Co-option throughout mammalian evolution has led to the generation of TE-derived regulators and TE-derived genes, some of which are expressed in the placenta but silenced in somatic tissues. TE genes encompass both TE-derived genes with a repeat element in the coding region and TE-derived regulatory regions such as alternative promoters and enhancers. Placental-specific TE genes are known to contribute to the placenta's unique functions, and interestingly, they are also expressed in some cancers and share similar functions. There is evidence to support that aberrant activity of TE genes may contribute to placental pathologies, cancer and autoimmunity. In this review, we highlight the crucial roles of TE genes in placental function, and how their dysregulation may lead to pre-eclampsia, a common and dangerous placental condition. We provide a summary of the functional TE genes in the placenta to offer insight into their significance in normal and abnormal human development. Ultimately, this review highlights an opportunity for future research to investigate the potential dysregulation of TE genes in the development of placental pathologies such as pre-eclampsia. Further understanding of TE genes and their role in the placenta could lead to significant improvements in maternal and fetal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Keighley
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Chiemi F Lynch-Sutherland
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Suzan N Almomani
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael R Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erin C Macaulay
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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3
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Wolf MM, Rathmell WK, de Cubas AA. Immunogenicity in renal cell carcinoma: shifting focus to alternative sources of tumour-specific antigens. Nat Rev Nephrol 2023; 19:440-450. [PMID: 36973495 PMCID: PMC10801831 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-023-00700-5] [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] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises a group of malignancies arising from the kidney with unique tumour-specific antigen (TSA) signatures that can trigger cytotoxic immunity. Two classes of TSAs are now considered potential drivers of immunogenicity in RCC: small-scale insertions and deletions (INDELs) that result in coding frameshift mutations, and activation of human endogenous retroviruses. The presence of neoantigen-specific T cells is a hallmark of solid tumours with a high mutagenic burden, which typically have abundant TSAs owing to non-synonymous single nucleotide variations within the genome. However, RCC exhibits high cytotoxic T cell reactivity despite only having an intermediate non-synonymous single nucleotide variation mutational burden. Instead, RCC tumours have a high pan-cancer proportion of INDEL frameshift mutations, and coding frameshift INDELs are associated with high immunogenicity. Moreover, cytotoxic T cells in RCC subtypes seem to recognize tumour-specific endogenous retrovirus epitopes, whose presence is associated with clinical responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Here, we review the distinct molecular landscapes in RCC that promote immunogenic responses, discuss clinical opportunities for discovery of biomarkers that can inform therapeutic immune checkpoint blockade strategies, and identify gaps in knowledge for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Wolf
- Department of Medicine, Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - W Kimryn Rathmell
- Department of Medicine, Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Aguirre A de Cubas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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4
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Felley-Bosco E. Exploring the Expression of the «Dark Matter» of the Genome in Mesothelioma for Potentially Predictive Biomarkers for Prognosis and Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112969. [PMID: 37296931 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112969] [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] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent high-throughput RNA sequencing technologies have confirmed that a large part of the non-coding genome is transcribed. The priority for further investigations is nevertheless generally given in cancer to coding sequences, due to the obvious interest of finding therapeutic targets. In addition, several RNA-sequencing pipelines eliminate repetitive sequences, which are difficult to analyze. In this review, we shall focus on endogenous retroviruses. These sequences are remnants of ancestral germline infections by exogenous retroviruses. These sequences represent 8% of human genome, meaning four-fold the fraction of the genome encoding for proteins. These sequences are generally mostly repressed in normal adult tissues, but pathological conditions lead to their de-repression. Specific mesothelioma-associated endogenous retrovirus expression and their association to clinical outcome is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Felley-Bosco
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zürich University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Ansari S, Gupta N, Verma R, Singh ON, Gupta J, Kumar A, Yadav MK, Binayke A, Tiwari M, Periwal N, Sood V, Mani S, Awasthi A, Shalimar, Nayak B, Ranjith‐Kumar CT, Surjit M. Antiviral activity of the human endogenous retrovirus‐R envelope protein against SARS‐CoV‐2. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e55900. [PMCID: PMC10328075 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus‐induced disease‐19 (COVID‐19), caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, is still a major global health challenge. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent retroviral elements that were integrated into the ancestral human genome. HERVs are important in embryonic development as well as in the manifestation of diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and viral infections. Here, we analyze the expression of several HERVs in SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected cells and observe increased activity of HERV‐E, HERV‐V, HERV‐FRD, HERV‐MER34, HERV‐W, and HERV‐K‐HML2. In contrast, the HERV‐R envelope is downregulated in cell‐based models and PBMCs of COVID‐19 patients. Overexpression of HERV‐R inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 replication, suggesting its antiviral activity. Further analyses demonstrate the role of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) in regulating HERV‐R antiviral activity. Lastly, our data indicate that the crosstalk between ERK and p38 MAPK controls the synthesis of the HERV‐R envelope protein, which in turn modulates SARS‐CoV‐2 replication. These findings suggest the role of the HERV‐R envelope as a prosurvival host factor against SARS‐CoV‐2 and illustrate a possible advantage of integration and evolutionary maintenance of retroviral elements in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Ansari
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
- Present address:
Department of BiochemistryAll India Institute of Medical SciencesNew DelhiIndia
| | - Rohit Verma
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Oinam N Singh
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Jyoti Gupta
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Amit Kumar
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Mukesh Kumar Yadav
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Akshay Binayke
- Immunobiology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Mahima Tiwari
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Neha Periwal
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Chemical and Life SciencesJamia Hamdard UniversityNew DelhiIndia
| | - Vikas Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Chemical and Life SciencesJamia Hamdard UniversityNew DelhiIndia
| | - Shailendra Mani
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Immunobiology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
| | - Shalimar
- Department of GastroenterologyAll India Institute of Medical SciencesNew DelhiIndia
| | - Baibaswata Nayak
- Department of GastroenterologyAll India Institute of Medical SciencesNew DelhiIndia
| | - CT Ranjith‐Kumar
- University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha UniversityNew DelhiIndia
| | - Milan Surjit
- Virology LaboratoryTranslational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science ClusterFaridabadIndia
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6
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Jin X, Li X, Guan F, Zhang J. Human Endogenous Retroviruses and Toll-Like Receptors. Viral Immunol 2023; 36:73-82. [PMID: 36251943 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2022.0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are estimated to comprise ∼8% of the entire human genome, but the vast majority of them remain transcriptionally silent in most normal tissues due to accumulated mutations. However, HERVs can be frequently activated and detected in various tissues under certain conditions. Nucleic acids or proteins produced by HERVs can bind to pattern recognition receptors of immune cells or other cells and initiate an innate immune response, which may be involved in some pathogenesis of diseases, especially cancer and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we collect studies of the interaction between HERV elements and Toll-like receptors and attempt to provide an overview of their role in the immunopathological mechanisms of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, P.R. China
| | - Xueyuan Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, P.R. China
| | - Fang Guan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, P.R. China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, P.R. China
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7
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Endogenous Retroviruses as Modulators of Innate Immunity. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020162. [PMID: 36839434 PMCID: PMC9963469 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), or LTR retrotransposons, are a class of transposable elements that are highly represented in mammalian genomes. Human ERVs (HERVs) make up roughly 8.3% of the genome and over the course of evolution, HERV elements underwent positive selection and accrued mutations that rendered them non-infectious; thereby, the genome could co-opt them into constructive roles with important biological functions. In the past two decades, with the help of advances in sequencing technology, ERVs are increasingly considered to be important components of the innate immune response. While typically silenced, expression of HERVs can be induced in response to traumatic, toxic, or infection-related stress, leading to a buildup of viral transcripts and under certain circumstances, proteins, including functionally active reverse transcriptase and viral envelopes. The biological activity of HERVs in the context of the innate immune response can be based on the functional effect of four major viral components: (1) HERV LTRs, (2) HERV-derived RNAs, (3) HERV-derived RNA:DNA duplexes and cDNA, and (4) HERV-derived proteins and ribonucleoprotein complexes. In this review, we will discuss the implications of HERVs in all four contexts in relation to innate immunity and their association with various pathological disease states.
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8
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Scognamiglio S, Grandi N, Pessiu E, Tramontano E. Identification, comprehensive characterization, and comparative genomics of the HERV-K(HML8) integrations in the human genome. Virus Res 2023; 323:198976. [PMID: 36309315 PMCID: PMC10194239 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Around 8% of the human genome is composed by Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs), ancient viral sequences inherited from the primate germ line after their infection by now extinct retroviruses. Given the still underexplored physiological and pathological roles of HERVs, it is fundamental to increase our information about the genomic composition of the different groups, to lay reliable foundation for functional studies. Among HERVs, the most characterized elements belong to the beta-like superfamily HERV-K, comprising 10 groups (HML1-10) with HML2 being the most recent and studied one. Among HMLs, the HML8 group is the only one still lacking a comprehensive genomic description. In the present work, we investigated HML8 sequences' distribution in the human genome (GRCh38/hg38), identifying 23 novel proviruses and characterizing the overall 78 HML8 proviruses in terms of genome structure, phylogeny, and integration pattern. HML8 elements were significantly enriched in human chromosomes 8 and X (p<0.005) while chromosomes 17 and 20 showed fewer integrations than expected (p<0.025 and p<0.005, respectively). Phylogenetic analyses classified HML8 members into 3 clusters, corresponding to the three LTR types MER11A, MER11B and MER11C. Besides different LTR types, common signatures in the internal structure suggested the potential existence of three different ancestral HML8 variants. Accordingly, time of integration estimation coupled with comparative genomics revealed that these three clusters have a different time of integration in the primates' genome, with MER11C elements being significantly younger than MER11A- and MER11B associated proviruses (p<0.005 and p<0.05, respectively). Approximately 30% of the HML8 elements were found co-localized within human genes, sometimes in exonic portions and with the same orientation, deserving further studies for their possible effects on gene expression. Overall, we provide the first detailed picture of the HML8 group distribution and variety among the genome, creating the backbone for the specific analysis of their transcriptional activity in healthy and diseased conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sante Scognamiglio
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, SS554, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy
| | - Nicole Grandi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, SS554, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy
| | - Eleonora Pessiu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, SS554, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, SS554, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy.
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9
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Alcazer V, Bonaventura P, Tonon L, Michel E, Mutez V, Fabres C, Chuvin N, Boulos R, Estornes Y, Maguer-Satta V, Geistlich K, Viari A, Metzeler KH, Hiddemann W, Batch AMN, Herold T, Caux C, Depil S. HERVs characterize normal and leukemia stem cells and represent a source of shared epitopes for cancer immunotherapy. Am J Hematol 2022; 97:1200-1214. [PMID: 35759575 PMCID: PMC9540360 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent 8% of the human genome. The expression of HERVs and their immune impact have not been extensively studied in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In this study, we used a reference of 14,968 HERV functional units to provide a thorough analysis of HERV expression in normal and AML bone marrow cells. We show that the HERV retrotranscriptome accurately characterizes normal and leukemic cell subpopulations, including leukemia stem cells, in line with different epigenetic profiles. We then show that HERV expression delineates AML subtypes with different prognoses. We finally propose a method to select and prioritize CD8+ T cell epitopes derived from AML-specific HERVs and we show that lymphocytes infiltrating patient bone marrow at diagnosis contain naturally occurring CD8+ T cells against these HERV epitopes. We also provide in vitro data supporting the functionality of HERV-specific CD8+ T-cells against AML cells. These results show that HERVs represent an important source of genetic information that can help enhancing disease stratification or biomarker identification and an important reservoir of alternative tumor-specific T cell epitopes relevant for cancer immunotherapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Alcazer
- Department of Hematology, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon Sud Hospital, Pierre-Bénite, France.,Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France
| | - Paola Bonaventura
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Laurie Tonon
- Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Center, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Emilie Michel
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Virginie Mutez
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Clémentine Fabres
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Chuvin
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Rasha Boulos
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Yann Estornes
- Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | | | - Kevin Geistlich
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France
| | - Alain Viari
- Synergie Lyon Cancer Foundation, Gilles Thomas Bioinformatics Center, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Klaus H Metzeler
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Dept. of Hematology and Cell Therapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hiddemann
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aarif M N Batch
- Institute of Medical Data Processing, Biometrics and Epidemiology (IBE), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Data Integration for Future Medicine (DiFuture, www.difuture.de), LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Herold
- Laboratory for Leukemia Diagnostics, Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christophe Caux
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
| | - Stéphane Depil
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France.,Ervaccine Technologies, Centre Leon Bérard, Lyon, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.,University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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10
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Zhang Z, Bu L, Luo J, Guo J. Targeting protein kinases benefits cancer immunotherapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188738. [PMID: 35660645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule kinase inhibitors have been well established and successfully developed in the last decades for cancer target therapies. However, intrinsic or acquired drug resistance is becoming the major barrier for their clinical application. With the development of immunotherapies, in particular the discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the combination of ICIs with other therapies have recently been extensively explored, among which combination of ICIs with kinase inhibitors achieves promising clinical outcome in a plethora of cancer types. Here we comprehensively summarize the potent roles of protein kinases in modulating immune checkpoints both in tumor and immune cells, and reshaping tumor immune microenvironments by evoking innate immune response and neoantigen generation or presentation. Moreover, the clinical trial and approval of combined administration of kinase inhibitors with ICIs are collected, highlighting the precise strategies to benefit cancer immune therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkun Zhang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Lang Bu
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Junhang Luo
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
| | - Jianping Guo
- Institute of Precision Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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11
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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:ijms23031330. [PMID: 35163254 PMCID: PMC8836156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [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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12
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Au L, Hatipoglu E, Robert de Massy M, Litchfield K, Beattie G, Rowan A, Schnidrig D, Thompson R, Byrne F, Horswell S, Fotiadis N, Hazell S, Nicol D, Shepherd STC, Fendler A, Mason R, Del Rosario L, Edmonds K, Lingard K, Sarker S, Mangwende M, Carlyle E, Attig J, Joshi K, Uddin I, Becker PD, Sunderland MW, Akarca A, Puccio I, Yang WW, Lund T, Dhillon K, Vasquez MD, Ghorani E, Xu H, Spencer C, López JI, Green A, Mahadeva U, Borg E, Mitchison M, Moore DA, Proctor I, Falzon M, Pickering L, Furness AJS, Reading JL, Salgado R, Marafioti T, Jamal-Hanjani M, Kassiotis G, Chain B, Larkin J, Swanton C, Quezada SA, Turajlic S. Determinants of anti-PD-1 response and resistance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:1497-1518.e11. [PMID: 34715028 PMCID: PMC8599450 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
ADAPTeR is a prospective, phase II study of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) in 15 treatment-naive patients (115 multiregion tumor samples) with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) aiming to understand the mechanism underpinning therapeutic response. Genomic analyses show no correlation between tumor molecular features and response, whereas ccRCC-specific human endogenous retrovirus expression indirectly correlates with clinical response. T cell receptor (TCR) analysis reveals a significantly higher number of expanded TCR clones pre-treatment in responders suggesting pre-existing immunity. Maintenance of highly similar clusters of TCRs post-treatment predict response, suggesting ongoing antigen engagement and survival of families of T cells likely recognizing the same antigens. In responders, nivolumab-bound CD8+ T cells are expanded and express GZMK/B. Our data suggest nivolumab drives both maintenance and replacement of previously expanded T cell clones, but only maintenance correlates with response. We hypothesize that maintenance and boosting of a pre-existing response is a key element of anti-PD-1 mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Au
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Emine Hatipoglu
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK; Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Marc Robert de Massy
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Kevin Litchfield
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Gordon Beattie
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Andrew Rowan
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Desiree Schnidrig
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Rachael Thompson
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Fiona Byrne
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Stuart Horswell
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Nicos Fotiadis
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Imaging Centre, Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Steve Hazell
- Department of Pathology, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - David Nicol
- Department of Urology, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Scott T C Shepherd
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Annika Fendler
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Robert Mason
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Lyra Del Rosario
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Kim Edmonds
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Karla Lingard
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Sarah Sarker
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Mary Mangwende
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Eleanor Carlyle
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Jan Attig
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Kroopa Joshi
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Imran Uddin
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Pablo D Becker
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Mariana Werner Sunderland
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Ayse Akarca
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Ignazio Puccio
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - William W Yang
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Tom Lund
- Translational Immune Oncology Lab, Centre for Molecular Pathology, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Kim Dhillon
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Marcos Duran Vasquez
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Ehsan Ghorani
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Hang Xu
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Charlotte Spencer
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - José I López
- Department of Pathology, Cruces University Hospital, Biocruces-Bizkaia Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Anna Green
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Ula Mahadeva
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Elaine Borg
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Miriam Mitchison
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - David A Moore
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Ian Proctor
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Mary Falzon
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Lisa Pickering
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Andrew J S Furness
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - James L Reading
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Roberto Salgado
- Division of Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne VIC 300, Australia; Department of Pathology, GZA-ZNA Hospitals, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Teresa Marafioti
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospital, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - Mariam Jamal-Hanjani
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London NW1 2BU, UK
| | - George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Benny Chain
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - James Larkin
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London NW1 2BU, UK; University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London WC1E 6DD, UK.
| | - Samra Turajlic
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK; Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London SW3 6JJ, UK.
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Grandi N, Pisano MP, Pessiu E, Scognamiglio S, Tramontano E. HERV-K(HML7) Integrations in the Human Genome: Comprehensive Characterization and Comparative Analysis in Non-Human Primates. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10050439. [PMID: 34069102 PMCID: PMC8156875 DOI: 10.3390/biology10050439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The human genome is not human at all, but it includes a multitude of sequences inherited from ancient viral infections that affected primates’ germ line. These elements can be seen as the fossils of now-extinct retroviruses, and are called Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs). View as “junk DNA” for a long time, HERVs constitute 4 times the amount of DNA needed to produce all cellular proteins, and growing evidence indicates their crucial role in primate brain evolution, placenta development, and innate immunity shaping. HERVs are also intensively studied for a pathological role, even if the incomplete knowledge about their exact number and genomic position has thus far prevented any causal association. Among possible relevant HERVs, the HERV-K supergroup is of particular interest, including some of the oldest (HML5) as well as youngest (HML2) integrations. Among HERV-Ks, the HML7 group still lack a detailed description, and the present work thus aimed to identify and characterize all HML7 elements in the human genome. Results showed that the HML7 group includes 23 elements and an additional 160 “scars” of past infection that invaded in primates mostly between 20 and 30 million years ago, providing an exhaustive background to study their impact on human pathophysiology. Abstract Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs) are ancient relics of infections that affected the primate germ line and constitute about 8% of our genome. Growing evidence indicates that ERVs had a major role in vertebrate evolution, being occasionally domesticated by the host physiology. In addition, human ERV (HERV) expression is highly investigated for a possible pathological role, even if no clear associations have been reported yet. In fact, on the one side, the study of HERV expression in high-throughput data is a powerful and promising tool to assess their actual dysregulation in diseased conditions; but, on the other side, the poor knowledge about the various HERV group genomic diversity and individual members somehow prevented the association between specific HERV loci and a given molecular mechanism of pathogenesis. The present study is focused on the HERV-K(HML7) group that—differently from the other HERV-K members—still remains poorly characterized. Starting from an initial identification performed with the software RetroTector, we collected 23 HML7 proviral insertions and about 160 HML7 solitary LTRs that were analyzed in terms of genomic distribution, revealing a significant enrichment in chromosome X and the frequent localization within human gene introns as well as in pericentromeric and centromeric regions. Phylogenetic analyses showed that HML7 members form a monophyletic group, which based on age estimation and comparative localization in non-human primates had its major diffusion between 20 and 30 million years ago. Structural characterization revealed that besides 3 complete HML7 proviruses, the other group members shared a highly defective structure that, however, still presents recognizable functional domains, making it worth further investigation in the human population to assess the presence of residual coding potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Grandi
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy; (M.P.P.); (E.P.); (S.S.); (E.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Maria Paola Pisano
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy; (M.P.P.); (E.P.); (S.S.); (E.T.)
| | - Eleonora Pessiu
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy; (M.P.P.); (E.P.); (S.S.); (E.T.)
| | - Sante Scognamiglio
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy; (M.P.P.); (E.P.); (S.S.); (E.T.)
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy; (M.P.P.); (E.P.); (S.S.); (E.T.)
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
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14
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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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15
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Grabski DF, Ratan A, Gray LR, Bekiranov S, Rekosh D, Hammarskjold ML, Rasmussen SK. Upregulation of human endogenous retrovirus-K (HML-2) mRNAs in hepatoblastoma: Identification of potential new immunotherapeutic targets and biomarkers. J Pediatr Surg 2021; 56:286-292. [PMID: 32682541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver malignancy in children. In order to advance therapy against hepatoblastoma, novel immunologic targets and biomarkers are needed. Our purpose in this investigation is to examine hepatoblastoma transcriptomes for the expression of a class of genomic elements known as Human Endogenous Retrovirus (HERVs). HERVs are abundant in the human genome and are biologically active elements that have been associated with multiple malignancies and proposed as immunologic targets in a subset of tumors. A sub-family of HERVs, HERV-K(HML-2) (HERV-K), have been shown to be tightly regulated in fetal development, making investigation of these elements in pediatric tumors paramount. METHODS We first created a HERVK-FASTA file utilizing 91 previously described HML-2 proviruses. We then concatenated the file onto the GRCh38.95 cDNA library from Ensembl. We used this reference database to evaluate existing RNA-seq data from 10 hepatoblastoma tumors and 3 normal liver controls (GEO accession ID: GSE8977575). Quantification and differential proviral expression analysis between hepatoblastoma and normal liver controls was performed using the pseudo-alignment program Salmon and DESeq2, respectively. RESULTS HERV-K mRNA was expressed in hepatoblastoma from multiple proviral loci. All expressed HERV-K proviral loci were upregulated in hepatoblastoma compared to normal liver controls. Five HERV-K proviruses (1q21.3, 3q27.2, 7q22.2, 12q24.33 and 17p13.1) were significantly differentially expressed (p-adjusted value <0.05, |log2 fold change| > 1.5) across conditions. The provirus at 17p13.1 had an approximately 300-fold increased expression in hepatoblastoma as compared to normal liver. This was in part due to the near absence of HERV-K mRNA at the 17p13.1 locus in fully differentiated liver samples. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation demonstrates that HERV-K is expressed from multiple loci in hepatoblastoma and that the expression is increased for several proviruses compared to normal liver controls. Our results suggest that HERV-K mRNA expression may be useful as a biomarker in hepatoblastoma, given the large differential expression profiles in hepatoblastoma, with very low mRNA levels in liver control samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Grabski
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia; Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Aakrosh Ratan
- Center for Public Health Genomics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Laurie R Gray
- Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Stefan Bekiranov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - David Rekosh
- Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Marie-Louise Hammarskjold
- Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Sara K Rasmussen
- Myles H. Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus Research, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia; Seattle Children's Hospital, Division of Transplantation, University of Washington Department of Surgery, 4800 Sand Point Way, Seattle, WA 98105.
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16
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Saini SK, Ørskov AD, Bjerregaard AM, Unnikrishnan A, Holmberg-Thydén S, Borch A, Jensen KV, Anande G, Bentzen AK, Marquard AM, Tamhane T, Treppendahl MB, Gang AO, Dufva IH, Szallasi Z, Ternette N, Pedersen AG, Eklund AC, Pimanda J, Grønbæk K, Hadrup SR. Human endogenous retroviruses form a reservoir of T cell targets in hematological cancers. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5660. [PMID: 33168830 PMCID: PMC7653045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) form a substantial part of the human genome, but mostly remain transcriptionally silent under strict epigenetic regulation, yet can potentially be reactivated by malignant transformation or epigenetic therapies. Here, we evaluate the potential for T cell recognition of HERV elements in myeloid malignancies by mapping transcribed HERV genes and generating a library of 1169 potential antigenic HERV-derived peptides predicted for presentation by 4 HLA class I molecules. Using DNA barcode-labeled MHC-I multimers, we find CD8+ T cell populations recognizing 29 HERV-derived peptides representing 18 different HERV loci, of which HERVH-5, HERVW-1, and HERVE-3 have more profound responses; such HERV-specific T cells are present in 17 of the 34 patients, but less frequently in healthy donors. Transcriptomic analyses reveal enhanced transcription of the HERVs in patients; meanwhile DNA-demethylating therapy causes a small and heterogeneous enhancement in HERV transcription without altering T cell recognition. Our study thus uncovers T cell recognition of HERVs in myeloid malignancies, thereby implicating HERVs as potential targets for immunotherapeutic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar Saini
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Due Ørskov
- Department of Haematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne-Mette Bjerregaard
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ashwin Unnikrishnan
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Staffan Holmberg-Thydén
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Annie Borch
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kathrine Valentini Jensen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Govardhan Anande
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Amalie Kai Bentzen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andrea Marion Marquard
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tripti Tamhane
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Anne Ortved Gang
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Høgh Dufva
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicola Ternette
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anders Gorm Pedersen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Aron Charles Eklund
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - John Pimanda
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Haematology Department, South Eastern Area Laboratory Services, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Kirsten Grønbæk
- Department of Haematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sine Reker Hadrup
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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18
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Chen Y, Chen M, Duan X, Cui J. Ancient origin and complex evolution of porcine endogenous retroviruses. BIOSAFETY AND HEALTH 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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19
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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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Min KW, Kim WS, Kim DH, Son BK, Oh YH, Kwon MJ, Lee HS, Lee SE, Kim IA, Moon JY, Kim KY, Park JH. High polymerase ε expression associated with increased CD8+T cells improves survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233066. [PMID: 32433714 PMCID: PMC7239475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA replicase polymerase ε (POLE) is critical in proofreading and correcting errors of DNA replication. Low POLE expression plays a pivotal role in accumulation of mutations and onset of cancer, contributing to development and growth of tumor cells. The aim of this study is to reveal the survival, alternative genes and antitumoral immune activities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with low POLE expression and provide treatment strategies that can increase their survival rates. This study investigated the clinicopathologic parameters, various tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), endogenous retrovirus, molecular interactions and in vitro drug screen according to POLE mutation/expression in 168 and 1,019 NSCLC patients from the Konkuk University Medical Center (KUMC) and the Cancer Genome Atlas, respectively. We identified mutations of 75 genes in the sequencing panels, with POLE frame shift p.V1446fs being the most frequent (56.8%) in KUMC based on 170 targeted sequencing panels. Mutant and high expression of POLE correlated with favorable prognosis with increased TILs and tumor mutation burden, compared with wild type and low expression of POLE. We found specific molecular interactions associated with cell cycle and antigen presentation. An in vitro drug screen identified dasatinib that inhibited growth of the NSCLC cell line with low POLE expression. POLE could contribute to the future development of anticancer drugs for patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyueng-Whan Min
- Department of Pathology, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan-Seop Kim
- Department of Pathology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
| | - Dong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Pathology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung Kwan Son
- Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ha Oh
- Department of Pathology, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi Jung Kwon
- Department of Pathology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Seung Lee
- Department of Pathology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - In Ae Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Yong Moon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Endogenous Retroviruses Activity as a Molecular Signature of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20236050. [PMID: 31801288 PMCID: PMC6928979 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20236050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genetic elements resulting from relics of ancestral infection of germline cells, now recognized as cofactors in the etiology of several complex diseases. Here we present a review of findings supporting the role of the abnormal HERVs activity in neurodevelopmental disorders. The derailment of brain development underlies numerous neuropsychiatric conditions, likely starting during prenatal life and carrying on during subsequent maturation of the brain. Autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders that arise clinically during early childhood or adolescence, currently attributed to the interplay among genetic vulnerability, environmental risk factors, and maternal immune activation. The role of HERVs in human embryogenesis, their intrinsic responsiveness to external stimuli, and the interaction with the immune system support the involvement of HERVs in the derailed neurodevelopmental process. Although definitive proofs that HERVs are involved in neurobehavioral alterations are still lacking, both preclinical models and human studies indicate that the abnormal expression of ERVs could represent a neurodevelopmental disorders-associated biological trait in affected individuals and their parents.
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Transposable element expression in tumors is associated with immune infiltration and increased antigenicity. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5228. [PMID: 31745090 PMCID: PMC6864081 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13035-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Profound global loss of DNA methylation is a hallmark of many cancers. One potential consequence of this is the reactivation of transposable elements (TEs) which could stimulate the immune system via cell-intrinsic antiviral responses. Here, we develop REdiscoverTE, a computational method for quantifying genome-wide TE expression in RNA sequencing data. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we observe increased expression of over 400 TE subfamilies, of which 262 appear to result from a proximal loss of DNA methylation. The most recurrent TEs are among the evolutionarily youngest in the genome, predominantly expressed from intergenic loci, and associated with antiviral or DNA damage responses. Treatment of glioblastoma cells with a demethylation agent results in both increased TE expression and de novo presentation of TE-derived peptides on MHC class I molecules. Therapeutic reactivation of tumor-specific TEs may synergize with immunotherapy by inducing inflammation and the display of potentially immunogenic neoantigens. Treatment with demethylation agents can reactivate transposable elements. Here in glioblastoma, the authors also show that this is accompanied by de novo presentation of TE-derived peptides on MHC class I molecules.
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23
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Balestrieri E, Cipriani C, Matteucci C, Benvenuto A, Coniglio A, Argaw-Denboba A, Toschi N, Bucci I, Miele MT, Grelli S, Curatolo P, Sinibaldi-Vallebona P. Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Mothers Share Abnormal Expression of Selected Endogenous Retroviruses Families and Cytokines. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2244. [PMID: 31616420 PMCID: PMC6775388 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, only clinically diagnosed since the lack of reliable biomarkers. Autism etiology is probably attributable to the combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental factors, and recently, maternal immune activation has been linked to derailed neurodevelopment, resulting in ASD in the offspring. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are relics of ancestral infections, stably integrated in the human DNA. Given the HERV persistence in the genome, some of HERVs have been co-opted for physiological functions during evolution, while their reactivation has been associated with several pathological conditions, including cancer, autoimmune, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. Particularly, due to their intrinsic responsiveness to external stimuli, HERVs can modulate the host immune response and in turn HERVs can be activated by the immune effectors. In previous works we demonstrated high expression levels of HERV-H in blood of autistic patients, closely related with the severity of the disease. Moreover, in a preclinical ASD model we proved changes of expression of several ERV families and cytokines from the intrauterine life to the adulthood, and across generations via maternal lineage. Here we analyzed the expression of HEMO and of selected HERVs and cytokines in blood from ASD patients and their parents and corresponding healthy controls, to look for a common molecular trait within family members. ASD patients and their mothers share altered expression of HERV-H and HEMO and of cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10. The multivariate regression models showed a mother-child association by HEMO activity and demonstrated in children and mothers an association between HERV-H and HEMO expression and, only in mothers, between HEMO, and TNF-α expression. Furthermore, high diagnostic performance for HERV-H and HEMO was found, suggesting their potential application for the identification of ASD children and their mothers. The present data support the involvement of HERVs in ASD and suggest HERVs and cytokines as ASD-associated traits. Since ASD is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, a single determinant alone could be not enough to account for the complexity, and HERV/cytokines expression could be considered in a set of biomarkers, easily detectable in blood, and potentially useful for an early diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Balestrieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Cipriani
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Matteucci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Benvenuto
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Coniglio
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Toschi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ilaria Bucci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Martino Tony Miele
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandro Grelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Curatolo
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Sinibaldi-Vallebona
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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DNA methylation loss promotes immune evasion of tumours with high mutation and copy number load. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4278. [PMID: 31537801 PMCID: PMC6753140 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12159-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitotic cell division increases tumour mutation burden and copy number load, predictive markers of the clinical benefit of immunotherapy. Cell division correlates also with genomic demethylation involving methylation loss in late-replicating partial methylation domains. Here we find that immunomodulatory pathway genes are concentrated in these domains and transcriptionally repressed in demethylated tumours with CpG island promoter hypermethylation. Global methylation loss correlated with immune evasion signatures independently of mutation burden and aneuploidy. Methylome data of our cohort (n = 60) and a published cohort (n = 81) in lung cancer and a melanoma cohort (n = 40) consistently demonstrated that genomic methylation alterations counteract the contribution of high mutation burden and increase immunotherapeutic resistance. Higher predictive power was observed for methylation loss than mutation burden. We also found that genomic hypomethylation correlates with the immune escape signatures of aneuploid tumours. Hence, DNA methylation alterations implicate epigenetic modulation in precision immunotherapy. Demethylation of the genome is found in cancer. Here, the authors show that genomic demethylation entails changes in promoter methylation and gene expression associated with immune escape and suggest that the epigenetic alterations may be an important determinant of responses to immunotherapy.
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25
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Rex C, Nadeau MJ, Douville R, Schellenberg K. Expression of Human Endogenous Retrovirus-K in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy. Front Neurol 2019; 10:968. [PMID: 31551920 PMCID: PMC6738134 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA) is caused by the extension of the polyglutamine tract within the androgen receptor (AR) gene, and results in a multisystem presentation, including the degeneration of lower motor neurons. The androgen receptor (AR) is known to modulate the expression of endogenous retrovirus-K (ERVK), a pathogenic viral genomic symbiont. Since ERVK is associated with motor neuron disease, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), we sought to determine if patients with SBMA exhibit evidence of ERVK reactivation. Results: Data from a pilot study demonstrate that peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from controls and patients with SBMA were examined ex vivo for the expression of ERVK viral transcripts and proteins. No differences in ERVK RNA expression was observed between the clinical groups. In contrast, enhancement of processed ERVK Gag and integrase proteins were observed in SBMA-derived PBMC as compared to healthy control specimens. Increased ERVK protein maturation co-occurred with elevation in the expression of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor IRF1 in SBMA. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ERVK viral protein maturation in SBMA is an unrecognized biomarker and facet of the disease. We discuss how our current understanding of ERVK-driven pathology may tie into key aspects of multi-system dysfunction in SBMA, with a focus on inflammation, proteinopathy, as well as DNA damage and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody Rex
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Renée Douville
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kerri Schellenberg
- Division of Neurology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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26
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Rigogliuso G, Biniossek ML, Goodier JL, Mayer B, Pereira GC, Schilling O, Meese E, Mayer J. A human endogenous retrovirus encoded protease potentially cleaves numerous cellular proteins. Mob DNA 2019; 10:36. [PMID: 31462935 PMCID: PMC6707001 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0178-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A considerable portion of the human genome derives from retroviruses inherited over millions of years. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are usually severely mutated, yet some coding-competent HERVs exist. The HERV-K(HML-2) group includes evolutionarily young proviruses that encode typical retroviral proteins. HERV-K(HML-2) has been implicated in various human diseases because transcription is often upregulated and some of its encoded proteins are known to affect cell biology. HERV-K(HML-2) Protease (Pro) has received little attention so far, although it is expressed in some disease contexts and other retroviral proteases are known to process cellular proteins. Results We set out to identify human cellular proteins that are substrates of HERV-K(HML-2) Pro employing a modified Terminal Amine Isotopic Labeling of Substrates (TAILS) procedure. Thousands of human proteins were identified by this assay as significantly processed by HERV-K(HML-2) Pro at both acidic and neutral pH. We confirmed cleavage of a majority of selected human proteins in vitro and in co-expression experiments in vivo. Sizes of processing products observed for some of the tested proteins coincided with product sizes predicted by TAILS. Processed proteins locate to various cellular compartments and participate in diverse, often disease-relevant cellular processes. A limited number of HERV-K(HML-2) reference and non-reference loci appears capable of encoding active Pro. Conclusions Our findings from an approach combining TAILS with experimental verification of candidate proteins in vitro and in cultured cells suggest that hundreds of cellular proteins are potential substrates of HERV-K(HML-2) Pro. It is therefore conceivable that even low-level expression of HERV-K(HML-2) Pro affects levels of a diverse array of proteins and thus has a functional impact on cell biology and possible relevance for human diseases. Further studies are indicated to elucidate effects of HERV-K(HML-2) Pro expression regarding human substrate proteins, cell biology, and disease. The latter also calls for studies on expression of specific HERV-K(HML-2) loci capable of encoding active Pro. Endogenous retrovirus-encoded Pro activity may also be relevant for disease development in species other than human. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13100-019-0178-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Rigogliuso
- 1Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Martin L Biniossek
- 2Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - John L Goodier
- 3McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Bettina Mayer
- 2Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gavin C Pereira
- 3McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Oliver Schilling
- 4Institute of Surgical Pathology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,5German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eckart Meese
- 1Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Jens Mayer
- 1Department of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
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27
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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: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.2] [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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Faden DL, Ding F, Lin Y, Zhai S, Kuo F, Chan TA, Morris LG, Ferris RL. APOBEC mutagenesis is tightly linked to the immune landscape and immunotherapy biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol 2019; 96:140-147. [PMID: 31422205 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2019.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
HNSCC is an immunologically active tumor with high levels of immune cell infiltration, high mutational burden and a subset of patients who respond to immunotherapy. One of the primary sources of mutations in HNSCC is the cytidine deaminase APOBEC3, which is a known participant in innate immunity. Why particular HNSCCs have higher rates of APOBEC mutations and how these mutations relate to the immune microenvironment remains unknown. Utilizing whole exome and RNA-Seq datasets from TCGA HNSCCs we annotated APOBEC mutations, immune cell populations, activating and end effectors of immunity and neoantigens in order to interrogate the relationship between APOBEC mutations and the immune landscape. Immune cell populations and composite scores of immune activation were tightly associated with APOBEC mutational burden (p = 0.04-1.17e-5). HNSCC had the highest levels of IFNy across cancer types with high APOBEC mutational burden, with the highest IFNy scores in HPV mediated HNSCC. Tumor specific neoantigens were significantly correlated with APOBEC mutational burden while other sources of neoantigens were not (0.53 [0.24, 0.76] p = 8e-5). The presence of a germline APOBEC polymorphism was more prevalent in non-white, non-black patients and within this group, patients with the polymorphism had higher APOBEC mutational burden (p = 0.002). APOBEC mutations are tightly linked to immune activation and infiltration in HNSCC. Multiple mechanisms may exist within HNSCC leading to APOBEC mutations including immune upregulation in response to neoantigens and viral infection, via induction of IFNy. These mechanisms may be additive and not mutually exclusive, which could explain higher levels of APOBEC mutations in HPV mediated HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Faden
- Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, United States; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States.
| | - Fei Ding
- Biostatistics Facility, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Yan Lin
- Biostatistics Facility, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Shuyan Zhai
- Biostatistics Facility, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Fengshen Kuo
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Luc G Morris
- Immunogenomics and Precision Oncology Platform, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States; Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Robert L Ferris
- Cancer Immunology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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29
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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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30
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Close to the Bedside: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Retroviruses and Their Impact in Oncology. J Surg Res 2019; 240:145-155. [PMID: 30933828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genetic elements in the human genome, which resulted from ancient retroviral germline infections. HERVs have strong transcriptional promoters and enhancers that affect a cell's transcriptome. They also encode proteins that can exert effects in human cells. This review examines how our increased understanding of HERVs have led to their potential use as biomarkers and immunologic targets. MATERIAL AND METHODS PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were used in a systematic search to identify all articles studying the potential impact of HERVs on surgical diseases. The search included studies that involved clinical patient samples in diseases including cancer, inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune disease. Articles focused on conditions not routinely managed by surgeons were excluded. RESULTS Eighty six articles met inclusion and quality criteria for this review and were included. Breast cancer and melanoma have robust evidence regarding the use of HERVs as potential tumor markers and immunologic targets. Reported evidence of the activity of HERVs in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular cancer, prostate and ovarian cancer, germ cell tumors as well as idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, and the inflammatory response in burns was also reviewed. CONCLUSIONS Increasingly convincing evidence indicates that HERVs may play a role in solid organ malignancy and present important biomarkers or immunologic targets in multiple cancers. Innovative investigation of HERVs is a valuable focus of translational research and can deepen our understanding of cellular physiology and the effects of endogenous retroviruses on human biology. As strategies for treatment continue to focus on genome-based interventions, understanding the impact of endogenous retroviruses on human disease will be critical.
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Jin X, Xu XE, Jiang YZ, Liu YR, Sun W, Guo YJ, Ren YX, Zuo WJ, Hu X, Huang SL, Shen HJ, Lan F, He YF, Hu GH, Di GH, He XH, Li DQ, Liu S, Yu KD, Shao ZM. The endogenous retrovirus-derived long noncoding RNA TROJAN promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression via ZMYND8 degradation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaat9820. [PMID: 30854423 PMCID: PMC6402854 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat9820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) play pivotal roles in the development of breast cancer. However, the detailed mechanisms of noncoding HERVs remain elusive. Here, our genome-wide transcriptome analysis of HERVs revealed that a primate long noncoding RNA, which we dubbed TROJAN, was highly expressed in human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TROJAN promoted TNBC proliferation and invasion and indicated poor patient outcomes. We further confirmed that TROJAN could bind to ZMYND8, a metastasis-repressing factor, and increase its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway by repelling ZNF592. TROJAN also epigenetically up-regulated metastasis-related genes in multiple cell lines. Correlations between TROJAN and ZMYND8 were subsequently confirmed in clinical samples. Furthermore, our study verified that antisense oligonucleotide therapy targeting TROJAN substantially suppressed TNBC progression in vivo. In conclusion, the long noncoding RNA TROJAN promotes TNBC progression and serves as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Jin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-En Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Corresponding author. (Z.-M.S.); (X.-E.X.); (K.-D.Y.); (S.L.)
| | - Yi-Zhou Jiang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Rong Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Jie Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Xing Ren
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Jia Zuo
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Sheng-Lin Huang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Jie Shen
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Fei Lan
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Epigenetics, Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Yun-Fei He
- The Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Guo-Hong Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Gen-Hong Di
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
| | - Xiang-Huo He
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Da-Qiang Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Suling Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Corresponding author. (Z.-M.S.); (X.-E.X.); (K.-D.Y.); (S.L.)
| | - Ke-Da Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Corresponding author. (Z.-M.S.); (X.-E.X.); (K.-D.Y.); (S.L.)
| | - Zhi-Ming Shao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Precision Cancer Medicine Center, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
- Corresponding author. (Z.-M.S.); (X.-E.X.); (K.-D.Y.); (S.L.)
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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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Zhang M, Liang JQ, Zheng S. Expressional activation and functional roles of human endogenous retroviruses in cancers. Rev Med Virol 2019; 29:e2025. [PMID: 30614117 PMCID: PMC6590502 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are widely believed to be remnants of ancestral germ line infections by exogenous retroviruses. Although HERVs are deemed as “nonfunctional DNAs” due to loss of most of their viral protein coding capacity during evolution as part of the human genome, cumulative evidences are showing the expressional activation and potential roles of HERVs in diseases especially cancers. Work by other researchers and us has observed the dysregulation of HERVs in cancers, identified new HERV‐related genes, and revealed their potential importance in cancer development. Here, we summarized the current knowledge on the mechanisms of the expressional activation and functional roles of HERVs, with a focus on the H family HERV (HERV‐H), in carcinogenesis. HERV expression is regulated by external chemical or physical substances and exogenous virus infection, as well as host factors such as epigenetic DNA methylation, transcription factors, cytokines, and small RNAs. Diverse roles of HERVs have been proposed by acting in the forms of noncoding RNAs, proteins, and transcriptional regulators during carcinogenesis. However, much remains to be learnt about the contributions of HERVs to human cancers. More investigation is warranted to elucidate the functions of these “fossil remnants” yet important viral DNAs in the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwen Zhang
- The Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Cancer Institute, Second Affiliated Hospital, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jessie Qiaoyi Liang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shu Zheng
- Cancer Institute, Second Affiliated Hospital, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,The Department of surgical oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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34
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Abstract
Endogenous retrovirus (ERV) sequences make up a large fraction of our genome, yet little is understood about their function and biological relevance. Deep-sequencing data contain valuable information on a genome-wide scale. Yet, due to their highly repetitive nature, analysis of ERVs has been computationally challenging. We describe a bioinformatics tool called ERVmap to analyze transcription of unique sets of human ERVs in a range of cell types in health and disease settings. Our open-source code and accompanied web tool should facilitate researchers in all fields to study the expression patterns of ERVs in sequencing data and should lead to significant advancement in understanding the biological relevance of ERVs in health and disease. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are integrated retroviral elements that make up 8% of the human genome. However, the impact of ERVs on human health and disease is not well understood. While select ERVs have been implicated in diseases, including autoimmune disease and cancer, the lack of tools to analyze genome-wide, locus-specific expression of proviral autonomous ERVs has hampered the progress in the field. Here we describe a method called ERVmap, consisting of an annotated database of 3,220 human proviral ERVs and a pipeline that allows for locus-specific genome-wide identification of proviral ERVs that are transcribed based on RNA-sequencing data, and provide examples of the utility of this tool. Using ERVmap, we revealed cell-type–specific ERV expression patterns in commonly used cell lines as well as in primary cells. We identified 124 unique ERV loci that are significantly elevated in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus that represent an IFN-independent signature. Finally, we identified additional tumor-associated ERVs that correlate with cytolytic activity represented by granzyme and perforin expression in breast cancer tissue samples. The open-source code of ERVmap and the accompanied web tool are made publicly available to quantify proviral ERVs in RNA-sequencing data with ease. Use of ERVmap across a range of diseases and experimental conditions has the potential to uncover novel disease-associated antigens and effectors involved in human health that is currently missed by focusing on protein-coding sequences.
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35
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Attermann A, Bjerregaard AM, Saini S, Grønbæk K, Hadrup S. Human endogenous retroviruses and their implication for immunotherapeutics of cancer. Ann Oncol 2018; 29:2183-2191. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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36
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Matteucci C, Balestrieri E, Argaw-Denboba A, Sinibaldi-Vallebona P. Human endogenous retroviruses role in cancer cell stemness. Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 53:17-30. [PMID: 30317035 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer incidence and mortality, metastasis, drug resistance and recurrence are still the critical issues of oncological diseases. In this scenario, increasing scientific evidences demonstrate that the activation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) is involved in the aggressiveness of tumors such as melanoma, breast, germ cell, renal, ovarian, liver and haematological cancers. In their dynamic regulation, HERVs have also proved to be important determinants of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells (ESC) and of the reprogramming process of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In many types of tumors, essential characteristics of aggressiveness have been associated with the achievement of stemness features, often accompanied with the identification of defined subpopulations, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs), which possess stem cell-like properties and sustain tumorigenesis. Indeed, CSCs show high self-renewal capacity with a peculiar potential in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, heterogeneity, recurrence, radiotherapy and drug resistance. However, HERVs role in CSCs biology is still not fully elucidated. In this regard, CD133 is a widely recognized marker of CSCs, and our group demonstrated, for the first time, the requirement of HERV-K activation to expand and maintain a CD133+ melanoma cell subpopulation with stemness features in response to microenvironmental modifications. The review will discuss HERVs expression as cancer hallmark, with particular focus on their role in the regulation of cancer stemness features and the potential involvement as targets for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Matteucci
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Balestrieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Ayele Argaw-Denboba
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Sinibaldi-Vallebona
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy; Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
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Grandi N, Tramontano E. Human Endogenous Retroviruses Are Ancient Acquired Elements Still Shaping Innate Immune Responses. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2039. [PMID: 30250470 PMCID: PMC6139349 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
About 8% of our genome is composed of sequences with viral origin, namely human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs). HERVs are relics of ancient infections that affected the primates' germ line along the last 100 million of years, and became stable elements at the interface between self and foreign DNA. Intriguingly, HERV co-evolution with the host led to the domestication of activities previously devoted to the retrovirus life cycle, providing novel cellular functions. For example, selected HERV envelope proteins have been coopted for pregnancy-related purposes, and proviral Long Terminal Repeats participate in the transcriptional regulation of various cellular genes. Given the HERV persistence in the host genome and its basal expression in most healthy tissues, it is reasonable that human defenses should prevent HERV-mediated immune activation. Despite this, HERVs and their products (including RNA, cytosolic DNA, and proteins) are still able to modulate and be influenced by the host immune system, fascinatingly suggesting a central role in the evolution and functioning of the human innate immunity. Indeed, HERV sequences had been major contributors in shaping and expanding the interferon network, dispersing inducible genes that have been occasionally domesticated in various mammalian lineages. Also the HERV integration within or near to genes encoding for critical immune factors has been shown to influence their activity, or to be responsible for their polymorphic variation in the human population, such as in the case of an HERV-K(HML10) provirus in the major histocompatibility complex region. In addition, HERV expressed products have been shown to modulate innate immunity effectors, being therefore often related on the one side to inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, while on the other side to the control of excessive immune activation through their immunosuppressive properties. Finally, HERVs have been proposed to establish a protective effect against exogenous infections. The present review summarizes the involvement of HERVs and their products in innate immune responses, describing how their intricate interplay with the first line of human defenses can actively contribute either to the host protection or to his damage, implying a subtle balance between the persistence of HERV expression and the maintenance of a basal immune alert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Grandi
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Enzo Tramontano
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy
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Panda A, de Cubas AA, Stein M, Riedlinger G, Kra J, Mayer T, Smith CC, Vincent BG, Serody JS, Beckermann KE, Ganesan S, Bhanot G, Rathmell WK. Endogenous retrovirus expression is associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2018; 3:121522. [PMID: 30135306 PMCID: PMC6141170 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.121522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a subset of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), predictors of response remain uncertain. We investigated whether abnormal expression of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in tumors is associated with local immune checkpoint activation (ICA) and response to ICB. Twenty potentially immunogenic ERVs (πERVs) were identified in ccRCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas data set, and tumors were stratified into 3 groups based on their expression levels. πERV-high ccRCC tumors showed increased immune infiltration, checkpoint pathway upregulation, and higher CD8+ T cell fraction in infiltrating leukocytes compared with πERV-low ccRCC tumors. Similar results were observed in ER+/HER2- breast, colon, and head and neck squamous cell cancers. ERV expression correlated with expression of genes associated with histone methylation and chromatin regulation, and πERV-high ccRCC was enriched in BAP1 mutant tumors. ERV3-2 expression correlated with ICA in 11 solid cancers, including the 4 named above. In a small retrospective cohort of 24 metastatic ccRCC patients treated with single-agent PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, ERV3-2 expression in tumors was significantly higher in responders compared with nonresponders. Thus, abnormal expression of πERVs is associated with ICA in several solid cancers, including ccRCC, and ERV3-2 expression is associated with response to ICB in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Panda
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Mark Stein
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Joshua Kra
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Tina Mayer
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christof C. Smith
- Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Benjamin G. Vincent
- Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Serody
- Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kathryn E. Beckermann
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Shridar Ganesan
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gyan Bhanot
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - W. Kimryn Rathmell
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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39
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Mayer J, Harz C, Sanchez L, Pereira GC, Maldener E, Heras SR, Ostrow LW, Ravits J, Batra R, Meese E, García-Pérez JL, Goodier JL. Transcriptional profiling of HERV-K(HML-2) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and potential implications for expression of HML-2 proteins. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:39. [PMID: 30068350 PMCID: PMC6091006 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0275-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. About 90% of ALS cases are without a known genetic cause. The human endogenous retrovirus multi-copy HERV-K(HML-2) group was recently reported to potentially contribute to neurodegeneration and disease pathogenesis in ALS because of transcriptional upregulation and toxic effects of HML-2 Envelope (Env) protein. Env and other proteins are encoded by some transcriptionally active HML-2 loci. However, more detailed information is required regarding which HML-2 loci are transcribed in ALS, which of their proteins are expressed, and differences between the disease and non-disease states. METHODS For brain and spinal cord tissue samples from ALS patients and controls, we identified transcribed HML-2 loci by generating and mapping HML-2-specific cDNA sequences. We predicted expression of HML-2 env gene-derived proteins based on the observed cDNA sequences. Furthermore, we determined overall HML-2 transcript levels by RT-qPCR and investigated presence of HML-2 Env protein in ALS and control tissue samples by Western blotting. RESULTS We identified 24 different transcribed HML-2 loci. Some of those loci are transcribed at relatively high levels. However, significant differences in HML-2 loci transcriptional activities were not seen when comparing ALS and controls. Likewise, overall HML-2 transcript levels, as determined by RT-qPCR, were not significantly different between ALS and controls. Indeed, we were unable to detect full-length HML-2 Env protein in ALS and control tissue samples despite reasonable sensitivity. Rather our analyses suggest that a number of HML-2 protein variants other than full-length Env may potentially be expressed in ALS patients. CONCLUSIONS Our results expand and refine recent publications on HERV-K(HML-2) and ALS. Some of our results are in conflict with recent findings and call for further specific analyses. Our profiling of HML-2 transcription in ALS opens up the possibility that HML-2 proteins other than canonical full-length Env may have to be considered when studying the role of HML-2 in ALS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Mayer
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Christian Harz
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Laura Sanchez
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
| | - Gavin C. Pereira
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Esther Maldener
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sara R. Heras
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Lyle W. Ostrow
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 28217 USA
| | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, UCSD, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Ranjan Batra
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, UCSD, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Eckart Meese
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Jose Luis García-Pérez
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer, University of Granada, Andalusian Regional Government, Granada, Spain
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John L. Goodier
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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40
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Morris G, Maes M, Murdjeva M, Puri BK. Do Human Endogenous Retroviruses Contribute to Multiple Sclerosis, and if So, How? Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:2590-2605. [PMID: 30047100 PMCID: PMC6459794 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1255-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The gammaretroviral human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) families MRSV/HERV-W and HERV-H (including the closely related HERV-Fc1) are associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Complete HERV sequences betray their endogenous retroviral origin, with open reading frames in gag, pro, pol and env being flanked by two long terminal repeats containing promoter and enhancer sequences with the capacity to regulate HERV transactivation and the activity of host genes in spite of endogenous epigenetic repression mechanisms. HERV virions, RNA, cDNA, Gag and Env, and antibodies to HERV transcriptional products, have variously been found in the blood and/or brain and/or cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients, with the HERV expression level being associated with disease status. Furthermore, some HERV-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), such as rs662139 T/C in a 3-kb region of Xq22.3 containing a HERV-W env locus, and rs391745, upstream of the HERV-Fc1 locus on the X chromosome, are associated with MS susceptibility, while a negative association has been reported with SNPs in the tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein-encoding genes TRIM5 and TRIM22. Factors affecting HERV transcription include immune activation and inflammation, since HERV promoter regions possess binding sites for related transcription factors; oxidative stress, with oxidation of guanine to 8-oxoguanine and conversion of cytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine preventing binding of methyl groups transferred by DNA methyltransferases; oxidative stress also inhibits the activity of deacetylases, thereby favouring the acetylation of histone lysine residues favouring gene expression; interferon beta; natalizumab treatment; impaired epigenetic regulation; and the sex of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerwyn Morris
- IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Maes
- IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Marianna Murdjeva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Basant K Puri
- Department of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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41
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Turnbull MG, Douville RN. Related Endogenous Retrovirus-K Elements Harbor Distinct Protease Active Site Motifs. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1577. [PMID: 30072963 PMCID: PMC6058741 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Endogenous retrovirus-K is a group of related genomic elements descending from retroviral infections in human ancestors. HML2 is the clade of these viruses which contains the most intact provirus copies. These elements can be transcribed and translated in healthy and diseased tissues, and some of them produce active retroviral enzymes, such as protease. Retroviral gene products, including protease, contribute to illness in exogenous retroviral infections. There are ongoing efforts to test anti-retroviral regimens against endogenous retroviruses. Herein, we examine the potential activity and diversity of human endogenous retrovirus-K proteases, and their potential for impact on immunity and human disease. Results: Sequences similar to the endogenous retrovirus-K HML2 protease and reverse transcriptase were identified in the human genome, classified by phylogenetic inference and compared to Repbase reference sequences. The topologies of trees inferred from protease and reverse transcriptase sequences were similar and agreed with the classification using reference sequences. Surprisingly, only 62/480 protease sequences identified by BLAST were classified as HML2; the remainder were classified as other HML groups, with the majority (216) classified as HML3. Variation in functionally significant protease motifs was explored, and two major active site variants were identified – the DTGAD variant is common in all groups, but the DTGVD motif appears limited to HML3, HML5, and HML6. Furthermore, distinct RNA expression patterns of protease variants are seen in disease states, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Conclusion: Transcribed ERVK proteases exhibit a diversity which could impact immunity and inhibitor-based treatments, and these facets should be considered when designing therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renée N Douville
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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42
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Mueller T, Hantsch C, Volkmer I, Staege MS. Differentiation-Dependent Regulation of Human Endogenous Retrovirus K Sequences and Neighboring Genes in Germ Cell Tumor Cells. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1253. [PMID: 29963023 PMCID: PMC6013571 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Under physiological conditions, most human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are transcriptionally silent. However, re-activation of HERVs is observed under pathological conditions like inflammation or cancer. In addition to expression of HERV sequences, an impact of HERV-loci on expression of adjacent genes has been suggested as probably important patho-physiological mechanism. A candidate for such a gene is PRODH (proline dehydrogenase 1), which is located on chromosome 22 adjacent to HERVK-24. Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are known to express high level of HERVK sequences. In addition, non-seminomatous GCT are useful models to study HERV expression in the context of differentiation since they reflect aspects of cellular development during embryogenesis and usually contain different cell types. This is due to the embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, which are the stem cell component of GCT. They are pluripotent, show high expression of pluripotency markers like OCT4 and LIN28A and can differentiate into either somatic derivatives (teratoma cells) or choriocarcinoma or yolk-sac tumor cells reflecting extra-embryonal differentiation. OCT4 is lost upon differentiation. We used GCT derived cell lines of varying differentiation stages to analyze expression of HERVK and PRODH. Differentiation status and cellular relationship of GCT cells was determined using microarray analysis and western blotting of the embryonic pluripotency markers OCT4 and LIN28A. The highest expression of HERVK was found in undifferentiated EC cells, which retain a stem cell phenotype and express both OCT4 and LIN28. In contrast, the lowest expression of HERVK was observed in somatic differentiated GCT cells which also lack OCT4 and LIN28A whereas GCT cells with differentiation characteristics of yolk-sac tumor expressed LIN28A but not OCT4 and showed intermediate level of HERVK. A similar pattern was found for PRODH. Differentiation of EC cells by siRNA mediated knock-down of OCT4 or treatment with differentiation inducing medium decreased expression of HERVK and PRODH. Treatment of differentiated GCT cells with 5′-azacytidine and trichostatin A increased expression of HERVK and PRODH, indicating that epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for altered expression of these genes. Our data suggest that HERVK expression is dependent on cellular differentiation stages regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, which can also affect expression of neighboring genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mueller
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Haematology/Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Claudia Hantsch
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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43
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Kassiotis G, Stoye JP. Making a virtue of necessity: the pleiotropic role of human endogenous retroviruses in cancer. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0277. [PMID: 28893944 PMCID: PMC5597744 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Like all other mammals, humans harbour an astonishing number of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), as well as other retroelements, embedded in their genome. These remnants of ancestral germline infection with distinct exogenous retroviruses display various degrees of open reading frame integrity and replication capability. Modern day exogenous retroviruses, as well as the infectious predecessors of ERVs, are demonstrably oncogenic. Further, replication-competent ERVs continue to cause cancers in many other species of mammal. Moreover, human cancers are characterized by transcriptional activation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). These observations conspire to incriminate HERVs as causative agents of human cancer. However, exhaustive investigation of cancer genomes suggests that HERVs have entirely lost the ability for re-infection and thus the potential for insertional mutagenic activity. Although there may be non-insertional mechanisms by which HERVs contribute to cancer development, recent evidence also uncovers potent anti-tumour activities exerted by HERV replication intermediates or protein products. On balance, it appears that HERVs, despite their oncogenic past, now represent potential targets for immune-mediated anti-tumour mechanisms. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Human oncogenic viruses’.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Kassiotis
- Retroviral Immunology, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK .,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Stoye
- Retrovirus-Host Interactions, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK .,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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44
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Bustamante Rivera YY, Brütting C, Schmidt C, Volkmer I, Staege MS. Endogenous Retrovirus 3 - History, Physiology, and Pathology. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2691. [PMID: 29379485 PMCID: PMC5775217 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous viral elements (EVE) seem to be present in all eukaryotic genomes. The composition of EVE varies between different species. The endogenous retrovirus 3 (ERV3) is one of these elements that is present only in humans and other Catarrhini. Conservation of ERV3 in most of the investigated Catarrhini and the expression pattern in normal tissues suggest a putative physiological role of ERV3. On the other hand, ERV3 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of auto-immunity and cancer. In the present review we summarize knowledge about this interesting EVE. We propose the model that expression of ERV3 (and probably other EVE loci) under pathological conditions might be part of a metazoan SOS response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Brütting
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Caroline Schmidt
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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45
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Medina J, Perron H. [DNA sequences from mobile genetic elements, a hidden half of the human genome]. Med Sci (Paris) 2017; 33:151-158. [PMID: 28240206 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20173302010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current data estimate that mobile genetic elements represent more than one-half of the human genome. The literature is constantly updating data following the evolution of sequencing techniques and of algorithms for genome analyses. This review aims to provide an overview of the topic showing the complexity given by the various designations and classifications found in scientific papers. A particular focus is made on retrotransposons, including Endogenous RetroViruses (ERV), to introduce a second article focusing on their activation and their involvement in physiological functions and/or pathological mechanisms associated with diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Medina
- GeNeuro Innovation, Bioparc Laënnec, 60, avenue Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Hervé Perron
- GeNeuro Innovation, Bioparc Laënnec, 60, avenue Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon, France - GeNeuro, 18, chemin des Aulx, 1228 Plan-Les-Ouates, Genève, Suisse - Université Lyon-1, Faculté de Médecine Laënnec, 69008 Lyon, France
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46
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Contribution of Syncytins and Other Endogenous Retroviral Envelopes to Human Placenta Pathologies. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 145:111-162. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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47
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Zhou M, Zhong L, Xu W, Sun Y, Zhang Z, Zhao H, Yang L, Sun J. Discovery of potential prognostic long non-coding RNA biomarkers for predicting the risk of tumor recurrence of breast cancer patients. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31038. [PMID: 27503456 PMCID: PMC4977495 DOI: 10.1038/srep31038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression has been proven to be involved in the development and progression of cancer. However, expression pattern and prognostic value of lncRNAs in breast cancer recurrence remain unclear. Here, we analyzed lncRNA expression profiles of breast cancer patients who did or did not develop recurrence by repurposing existing microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and identified 12 differentially expressed lncRNAs that were closely associated with tumor recurrence of breast cancer patients. We constructed a lncRNA-focus molecular signature by the risk scoring method based on the expression levels of 12 relapse-related lncRNAs from the discovery cohort, which classified patients into high-risk and low-risk groups with significantly different recurrence-free survival (HR = 2.72, 95% confidence interval 2.07-3.57; p = 4.8e-13). The 12-lncRNA signature also represented similar prognostic value in two out of three independent validation cohorts. Furthermore, the prognostic power of the 12-lncRNA signature was independent of known clinical prognostic factors in at least two cohorts. Functional analysis suggested that the predicted relapse-related lncRNAs may be involved in known breast cancer-related biological processes and pathways. Our results highlighted the potential of lncRNAs as novel candidate biomarkers to identify breast cancer patients at high risk of tumor recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhou
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Lei Zhong
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China
| | - Wanying Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Yifan Sun
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Zhaoyue Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Hengqiang Zhao
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Lei Yang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Jie Sun
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, PR China
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48
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Kozlov AP. Expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors. Infect Agent Cancer 2016; 11:34. [PMID: 27437030 PMCID: PMC4949931 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-016-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily novel genes originated through different molecular mechanisms are expressed in tumors. Sometimes the expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors is highly specific. Moreover positive selection of many human tumor-related genes in primate lineage suggests their involvement in the origin of new functions beneficial to organisms. It is suggested to consider the expression of evolutionarily young or novel genes in tumors as a new biological phenomenon, a phenomenon of TSEEN (tumor specifically expressed, evolutionarily novel) genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. P. Kozlov
- The Biomedical Center and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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49
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Escalera-Zamudio M, Greenwood AD. On the classification and evolution of endogenous retrovirus: human endogenous retroviruses may not be 'human' after all. APMIS 2016; 124:44-51. [PMID: 26818261 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retroviruses, as part of their replication cycle, become integrated into the genome of their host. When this occurs in the germline the integrated proviruses can become an endogenous retrovirus (ERV) which may eventually become fixed in the population. ERVs are present in the genomes of all vertebrates including humans, where more than 50 groups of human endogenous retrovirus (HERVs) have been described within the last 30 years. Despite state-of-the-art genomic tools available for retroviral discovery and the large number of retroviral sequences described to date, there are still gaps in understanding retroviral macroevolutionary patterns and host-retrovirus interactions and a lack of a coherent systematic classification particularly for HERVs. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on ERV (and HERV) classification, distribution and origins focusing on the role of cross-species transmission in retroviral diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Escalera-Zamudio
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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50
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Abstract
Over 40% of mammalian genomes comprise the products of reverse transcription. Among such retrotransposed sequences are those characterized by the presence of long terminal repeats (LTRs), including the endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which are inherited genetic elements closely resembling the proviruses formed following exogenous retrovirus infection. Sequences derived from ERVs make up at least 8 to 10% of the human and mouse genomes and range from ancient sequences that predate mammalian divergence to elements that are currently still active. In this chapter we describe the discovery, classification and origins of ERVs in mammals and consider cellular mechanisms that have evolved to control their expression. We also discuss the negative effects of ERVs as agents of genetic disease and cancer and review examples of ERV protein domestication to serve host functions, as in placental development. Finally, we address growing evidence that the gene regulatory potential of ERV LTRs has been exploited multiple times during evolution to regulate genes and gene networks. Thus, although recently endogenized retroviral elements are often pathogenic, those that survive the forces of negative selection become neutral components of the host genome or can be harnessed to serve beneficial roles.
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