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Bello-Morales R, Andreu S, Ripa I, López-Guerrero JA. HSV-1 and Endogenous Retroviruses as Risk Factors in Demyelination. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115738. [PMID: 34072259 PMCID: PMC8199333 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a neurotropic alphaherpesvirus that can infect the peripheral and central nervous systems, and it has been implicated in demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes. Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can move from one genomic location to another. TEs have been linked to several diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS), including multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease of unknown etiology influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Exogenous viral transactivators may activate certain retrotransposons or class I TEs. In this context, several herpesviruses have been linked to MS, and one of them, HSV-1, might act as a risk factor by mediating processes such as molecular mimicry, remyelination, and activity of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Several herpesviruses have been involved in the regulation of human ERVs (HERVs), and HSV-1 in particular can modulate HERVs in cells involved in MS pathogenesis. This review exposes current knowledge about the relationship between HSV-1 and human ERVs, focusing on their contribution as a risk factor for MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Bello-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Sabina Andreu
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Inés Ripa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Antonio López-Guerrero
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.A.); (I.R.); (J.A.L.-G.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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O'Carroll IP, Fan L, Kroupa T, McShane EK, Theodore C, Yates EA, Kondrup B, Ding J, Martin TS, Rein A, Wang YX. Structural Mimicry Drives HIV-1 Rev-Mediated HERV-K Expression. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:166711. [PMID: 33197463 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Expression of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus Type K (HERV-K), the youngest and most active HERV, has been associated with various cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. As in all retroviruses, a fraction of HERV-K transcripts is exported from the nucleus in unspliced or incompletely spliced forms to serve as templates for translation of viral proteins. In a fraction of HERV-K loci (Type 2 proviruses), nuclear export of the unspliced HERV-K mRNA appears to be mediated by a cis-acting signal on the mRNA, the RcRE, and the protein Rec-these are analogous to the RRE-Rev system in HIV-1. Interestingly, the HIV-1 Rev protein is able to mediate the nuclear export of the HERV-K RcRE, contributing to elevated HERV-K expression in HIV-infected patients. We aimed to understand the structural basis for HIV Rev-HERV-K RcRE recognition. We examined the conformation of the RcRE RNA in solution using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that the 433-nt long RcRE can assume folded or extended conformations as observed by AFM. SAXS analysis of a truncated RcRE variant revealed an "A"-shaped topological structure similar to the one previously reported for the HIV-1 RRE. The effect of the overall topology was examined using several deletion variants. SAXS and biochemical analyses demonstrated that the "A" shape is necessary for efficient Rev-RcRE complex formation in vitro and nuclear export activity in cell culture. The findings provide insight into the mechanism of HERV-K expression and a structural explanation for HIV-1 Rev-mediated expression of HERV-K in HIV-infected patients. IMPORTANCE: Expression of the human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) has been associated with various cancers and autoimmune diseases. Nuclear export of both HIV-1 and HERV-K mRNAs is dependent on the interaction between a small viral protein (Rev in HIV-1 and Rec in HERV-K) and a region on the mRNA (RRE in HIV-1 and RcRE in HERV-K). HIV-1 Rev is able to mediate the nuclear export of RcRE-containing HERV-K mRNAs, which contributes to elevated production of HERV-K proteins in HIV-infected patients. We report the solution conformation of the RcRE RNA-the first three-dimensional topological structure for a HERV molecule-and find that the RcRE resembles the HIV-1 nuclear export signal, RRE. The finding reveals the structural basis for the increased HERV-K expression observed in HIV-infected patients. Elevated HERV expression, mediated by HIV infection or other stressors, can have various HERV-related biological consequences. The findings provide structural insight for regulation of HERV-K expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina P O'Carroll
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA.
| | - Lixin Fan
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, SAXS Core Facility of the National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Tomáš Kroupa
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Erin K McShane
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
| | - Christophe Theodore
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Yates
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
| | - Benjamin Kondrup
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
| | - Jienyu Ding
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Structural Biophysics Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Tyler S Martin
- Department of Chemistry, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA
| | - Alan Rein
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Structural Biophysics Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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Sariola S, Gilbert SF. Toward a Symbiotic Perspective on Public Health: Recognizing the Ambivalence of Microbes in the Anthropocene. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E746. [PMID: 32429344 PMCID: PMC7285259 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8050746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes evolve in complex environments that are often fashioned, in part, by human desires. In a global perspective, public health has played major roles in structuring how microbes are perceived, cultivated, and destroyed. The germ theory of disease cast microbes as enemies of the body and the body politic. Antibiotics have altered microbial development by providing stringent natural selection on bacterial species, and this has led to the formation of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Public health perspectives such as "Precision Public Health" and "One Health" have recently been proposed to further manage microbial populations. However, neither of these take into account the symbiotic relationships that exist between bacterial species and between bacteria, viruses, and their eukaryotic hosts. We propose a perspective on public health that recognizes microbial evolution through symbiotic associations (the hologenome theory) and through lateral gene transfer. This perspective has the advantage of including both the pathogenic and beneficial interactions of humans with bacteria, as well as combining the outlook of the "One Health" model with the genomic methodologies utilized in the "Precision Public Health" model. In the Anthropocene, the conditions for microbial evolution have been altered by human interventions, and public health initiatives must recognize both the beneficial (indeed, necessary) interactions of microbes with their hosts as well as their pathogenic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salla Sariola
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Sociology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Scott F. Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA
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Sznarkowska A, Mikac S, Pilch M. MHC Class I Regulation: The Origin Perspective. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051155. [PMID: 32375397 PMCID: PMC7281430 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral-derived elements and non-coding RNAs that build up “junk DNA” allow for flexible and context-dependent gene expression. They are extremely dense in the MHC region, accounting for flexible expression of the MHC I, II, and III genes and adjusting the level of immune response to the environmental stimuli. This review brings forward the viral-mediated aspects of the origin and evolution of adaptive immunity and aims to link this perspective with the MHC class I regulation. The complex regulatory network behind MHC expression is largely controlled by virus-derived elements, both as binding sites for immune transcription factors and as sources of regulatory non-coding RNAs. These regulatory RNAs are imbalanced in cancer and associate with different tumor types, making them promising targets for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
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Neil JA, Cadwell K. The Intestinal Virome and Immunity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 201:1615-1624. [PMID: 30181300 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1800631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The composition of the human microbiome is considered a major source of interindividual variation in immunity and, by extension, susceptibility to diseases. Intestinal bacteria have been the major focus of research. However, diverse communities of viruses that infect microbes and the animal host cohabitate the gastrointestinal tract and collectively constitute the gut virome. Although viruses are typically investigated as pathogens, recent studies highlight a relationship between the host and animal viruses in the gut that is more akin to host-microbiome interactions and includes both beneficial and detrimental outcomes for the host. These viruses are likely sources of immune variation, both locally and extraintestinally. In this review, we describe the components of the gut virome, in particular mammalian viruses, and their ability to modulate host responses during homeostasis and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Neil
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016; and Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Ken Cadwell
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016; and Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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Li W, Lin L, Malhotra R, Yang L, Acharya R, Poss M. A computational framework to assess genome-wide distribution of polymorphic human endogenous retrovirus-K In human populations. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006564. [PMID: 30921327 PMCID: PMC6456218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Endogenous Retrovirus type K (HERV-K) is the only HERV known to be insertionally polymorphic; not all individuals have a retrovirus at a specific genomic location. It is possible that HERV-Ks contribute to human disease because people differ in both number and genomic location of these retroviruses. Indeed viral transcripts, proteins, and antibody against HERV-K are detected in cancers, auto-immune, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, attempts to link a polymorphic HERV-K with any disease have been frustrated in part because population prevalence of HERV-K provirus at each polymorphic site is lacking and it is challenging to identify closely related elements such as HERV-K from short read sequence data. We present an integrated and computationally robust approach that uses whole genome short read data to determine the occupation status at all sites reported to contain a HERV-K provirus. Our method estimates the proportion of fixed length genomic sequence (k-mers) from whole genome sequence data matching a reference set of k-mers unique to each HERV-K locus and applies mixture model-based clustering of these values to account for low depth sequence data. Our analysis of 1000 Genomes Project Data (KGP) reveals numerous differences among the five KGP super-populations in the prevalence of individual and co-occurring HERV-K proviruses; we provide a visualization tool to easily depict the proportion of the KGP populations with any combination of polymorphic HERV-K provirus. Further, because HERV-K is insertionally polymorphic, the genome burden of known polymorphic HERV-K is variable in humans; this burden is lowest in East Asian (EAS) individuals. Our study identifies population-specific sequence variation for HERV-K proviruses at several loci. We expect these resources will advance research on HERV-K contributions to human diseases. Human Endogenous Retrovirus type K (HERV-K) is the youngest of retrovirus families in the human genome and is the only group of endogenous retroviruses that has polymorphic members; a locus containing a HERV-K can be occupied in one individual but empty in others. HERV-Ks could contribute to disease risk or pathogenesis but linking one of the known polymorphic HERV-K to a specific disease has been difficult. We develop an easy to use method that reveals the considerable variation existing among global populations in the prevalence of individual and co-occurring polymorphic HERV-K, and in the number of HERV-K that any individual has in their genome. Our study provides a reference of diversity for the currently known polymorphic HERV-K in global populations and tools needed to determine the profile of all known polymorphic HERV-K in the genome of any patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiling Li
- The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Statistics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Raunaq Malhotra
- The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Raj Acharya
- The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Mary Poss
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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7
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Anderson M, Kashanchi F, Jacobson S. Role of Exosomes in Human Retroviral Mediated Disorders. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2018; 13:279-291. [PMID: 29656370 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-018-9784-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Retroviruses comprise an ancient and varied group of viruses with the unique ability to integrate DNA from an RNA transcript into the genome, a subset of which are able to integrate in humans. The timing of these integrations during human history has dictated whether these viruses have remained exogenous and given rise to various human diseases or have become inseparable from the host genome (endogenous retroviruses). Given the ability of retroviruses to integrate into the host and subsequently co-opt host cellular process for viral propagation, retroviruses have been shown to be closely associated with several cellular processes including exosome formation. Exosomes are 30-150 nm unilamellar extracellular vesicles that originate from intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) that form in the endosomal compartment. Exosomes have been shown to be important in intercellular communication and immune cell function. Almost every cell type studied has been shown to produce these types of vesicles, with the cell type dictating the contents, which include proteins, mRNA, and miRNAs. Importantly, recent evidence has shown that infection by viruses, including retroviruses, alter the contents and subsequent function of produced exosomes. In this review, we will discuss the important retroviruses associated with human health and disease. Furthermore, we will delve into the impact of exosome formation and manipulation by integrated retroviruses on human health, survival, and human retroviral disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Anderson
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neuroimmunology Branch, Viral Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease Graduate Program, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
| | - Fatah Kashanchi
- National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Disease, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - Steven Jacobson
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neuroimmunology Branch, Viral Immunology Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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Krsmanovic P. Vigor of survival determinism: subtle evolutionary gradualism interspersed with robust phylogenetic leaping. Theory Biosci 2017. [PMID: 28631149 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-017-0251-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Discussions of the survival determinism concept have previously focused on its primary role in the evolution of early unicellular organisms in the light of findings which have been reported on a number of diseases. The rationale for such parallel was in the view according to which multicellular organisms could be regarded as sophisticated colonies of semi-autonomous, single-celled entities, whereby various diseases were described as conditions arising upon the activation of the respective survival mechanisms in a milieu unsuitable for such robust stress response. The cellular mechanisms that were discussed in these contexts have been known to play various roles in other biological processes. The proposed notion could thereby be further extended to discussion on mechanisms for the implementation of the respective survival pathways in the development of metazoa, considering that they would have been propagated in their evolution for so long. This manuscript first presents a concise overview of the model previously discussed, followed by the discussion on the role of respective mechanism(s) in origins and development of metazoa. Finally, a reflection on the concept in relation to the prominent evolutionary models is put forward to illustrate a broader context of what is being discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavle Krsmanovic
- Institute of Pathological Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, U Nemocnice 5, 128 53, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
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9
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Romani B, Allahbakhshi E. Underlying mechanisms of HIV-1 latency. Virus Genes 2017; 53:329-339. [PMID: 28258391 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-017-1443-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Similarly to other retroviruses, HIV-1 integrates its genome into the cellular chromosome. Expression of viral genes from the integrated viral DNA could then be regulated by the host genome. If the infected cell suppresses viral gene expression, the virus will undergo latency. The latently infected cells cannot be detected or cleared by the immune system since they do not express viral antigens. These cells remain undetected for several years, even under antiretroviral treatments. The silenced HIV-1 DNA could be reactivated under certain conditions. Despite the efficient use of antiretroviral drugs, HIV-1 latently infected cells remain the major obstacles to a permanent cure. In this review, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which HIV-1 establishes latency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bizhan Romani
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center (CMRC), Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), 61357-15794, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Elham Allahbakhshi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center (CMRC), Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), 61357-15794, Ahvaz, Iran.
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10
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Miller WB. Cognition, Information Fields and Hologenomic Entanglement: Evolution in Light and Shadow. BIOLOGY 2016; 5:biology5020021. [PMID: 27213462 PMCID: PMC4929535 DOI: 10.3390/biology5020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
As the prime unification of Darwinism and genetics, the Modern Synthesis continues to epitomize mainstay evolutionary theory. Many decades after its formulation, its anchor assumptions remain fixed: conflict between macro organic organisms and selection at that level represent the near totality of any evolutionary narrative. However, intervening research has revealed a less easily appraised cellular and microbial focus for eukaryotic existence. It is now established that all multicellular eukaryotic organisms are holobionts representing complex collaborations between the co-aligned microbiome of each eukaryote and its innate cells into extensive mixed cellular ecologies. Each of these ecological constituents has demonstrated faculties consistent with basal cognition. Consequently, an alternative hologenomic entanglement model is proposed with cognition at its center and conceptualized as Pervasive Information Fields within a quantum framework. Evolutionary development can then be reconsidered as being continuously based upon communication between self-referential constituencies reiterated at every scope and scale. Immunological reactions support and reinforce self-recognition juxtaposed against external environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Miller
- Independent Researcher, 6526 N. 59th St., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253, USA.
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11
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Introduction to Virus Origins and Their Role in Biological Evolution. VIRUS AS POPULATIONS 2016. [PMCID: PMC7204881 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800837-9.00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are extremely abundant and diverse parasites of cells. They might have arisen during an early phase of the evolution of life on Earth dominated by RNA or RNA-like macromolecules, or when a cellular world was already well established. The theories of the origin of life on Earth shed light on the possible origin of primitive viruses or virus-like genetic elements in our biosphere. Some features of present day viruses, notably error-prone replication, might be a consequence of the selective forces that mediated their ancestral origin. Two views on the role of viruses in our biosphere predominate: viruses considered as opportunistic, selfish elements, and viruses considered as active participants in the construction of the cellular world via lateral transfers of genes. These two models bear on considering viruses predominantly as disease agents or predominantly as cooperators in the shaping of differentiated cellular organisms.
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12
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Dominguez PM, Teater M, Chambwe N, Kormaksson M, Redmond D, Ishii J, Vuong B, Chaudhuri J, Melnick A, Vasanthakumar A, Godley LA, Papavasiliou FN, Elemento O, Shaknovich R. DNA Methylation Dynamics of Germinal Center B Cells Are Mediated by AID. Cell Rep 2015; 12:2086-98. [PMID: 26365193 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in DNA methylation are required for the formation of germinal centers (GCs), but the mechanisms of such changes are poorly understood. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) has been recently implicated in DNA demethylation through its deaminase activity coupled with DNA repair. We investigated the epigenetic function of AID in vivo in germinal center B cells (GCBs) isolated from wild-type (WT) and AID-deficient (Aicda(-/-)) mice. We determined that the transit of B cells through the GC is associated with marked locus-specific loss of methylation and increased methylation diversity, both of which are lost in Aicda(-/-) animals. Differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) between GCBs and naive B cells (NBs) are enriched in genes that are targeted for somatic hypermutation (SHM) by AID, and these genes form networks required for B cell development and proliferation. Finally, we observed significant conservation of AID-dependent epigenetic reprogramming between mouse and human B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar M Dominguez
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Matt Teater
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nyasha Chambwe
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - David Redmond
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jennifer Ishii
- Epigenomics Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Bao Vuong
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jayanta Chaudhuri
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ari Melnick
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Lucy A Godley
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - F Nina Papavasiliou
- Laboratories of Lymphocyte Biology and Molecular Parasitology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Olivier Elemento
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rita Shaknovich
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Reticulate Evolution Everywhere. INTERDISCIPLINARY EVOLUTION RESEARCH 2015. [PMCID: PMC7115103 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-16345-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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14
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Stress and the dynamic genome: Steroids, epigenetics, and the transposome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 112:6828-33. [PMID: 25385609 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1411260111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress plays a substantial role in shaping behavior and brain function, often with lasting effects. How these lasting effects occur in the context of a fixed postmitotic neuronal genome has been an enduring question for the field. Synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis have provided some of the answers to this question, and more recently epigenetic mechanisms have come to the fore. The exploration of epigenetic mechanisms recently led us to discover that a single acute stress can regulate the expression of retrotransposons in the rat hippocampus via an epigenetic mechanism. We propose that this response may represent a genomic stress response aimed at maintaining genomic and transcriptional stability in vulnerable brain regions such as the hippocampus. This finding and those of other researchers have made clear that retrotransposons and the genomic plasticity they permit play a significant role in brain function during stress and disease. These observations also raise the possibility that the transposome might have adaptive functions at the level of both evolution and the individual organism.
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Sacco MA, Nair VK. Prototype endogenous avian retroviruses of the genus Gallus. J Gen Virol 2014; 95:2060-2070. [PMID: 24903328 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.066852-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancient endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), designated endogenous avian retrovirus (EAVs), are present in all Gallus spp. including the chicken, and resemble the modern avian sarcoma and leukosis viruses (ASLVs). The EAVs comprise several distinct retroviruses, including EAV-0, EAV-E51 and EAV-HP, as well as a putative member previously named the avian retrotransposon of chickens (ART-CH). Thus far, only the EAV-HP elements have been well characterized. Here, we determined sequences of representative EAV-0 and EAV-E51 proviruses by cloning and data mining of the 2011 assembly of the Gallus gallus genome. Although the EAV-0 elements are primarily deleted in the env region, we identified two complete EAV-0 env genes within the G. gallus genome and prototype elements sharing identity with an EAV-E51-related clone previously designated EAV-E33. Prototype EAV-0, EAV-E51 and EAV-E33 gag, pol and env gene sequences used for phylogenetic analysis of deduced proteins showed that the EAVs formed three distinct clades, with EAV-0 sharing the last common ancestor with the ASLVs. The EAV-E51 clade showed the greatest level of divergence compared with other EAVs or ASLVs, suggesting that these ERVs represented exogenous retroviruses that evolved and integrated into the germline over a long period of time. Moreover, the degree of divergence between the chicken and red jungle fowl EAV-E51 sequences suggested that they were more ancient than the other EAVs and may have diverged through mutations that accumulated post-integration. Finally, we showed that the ART-CH elements were chimeric defective ERVs comprising portions of EAV-E51 and EAV-HP rather than authentic retrotransposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Ann Sacco
- Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA 92834-6850, USA
| | - Venugopal K Nair
- Pirbright Institute, Compton Laboratory, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK
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16
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Simian immunodeficiency virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 matrix proteins specify different capabilities to modulate B cell growth. J Virol 2014; 88:5706-17. [PMID: 24623414 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.03142-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Exogenous HIV-1 matrix protein p17 (p17) deregulates the function of different cells after its N-terminal loop (AT20) binding to the chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. One site within AT20 has been recently found to be the major determinant of viral fitness following transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) to the human host. Therefore, we sought to determine whether SIV matrix protein (MA) was already capable of interacting with CXCR1 and CXCR2 and mimic p17 biological activities rather than this being a newly acquired function during host adaptation. We show here that SIV MA binds with the same affinity of p17 to CXCR1 and CXCR2 and displays both p17 proangiogenic on human primary endothelial cells and chemotactic activity on human primary monocytes and B cells. However, SIV MA exhibited a higher degree of plasticity than p17 in the C terminus, a region known to play a role in modulating B cell growth. Indeed, in contrast to p17, SIV MA was found to activate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway and strongly promote B cell proliferation and clonogenic activity. Interestingly, we have recently highlighted the existence of a Ugandan HIV-1 strain-derived p17 variant (S75X) with the same B cell growth-promoting activity of SIV MA. Computational modeling allowed us to hypothesize an altered C terminus/core region interaction behind SIV MA and S75X activity. Our findings suggest the appearance of a structural constraint in the p17 C terminus that controls B cell growth, which may help to elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of HIV-1. IMPORTANCE The HIV-1 matrix protein p17 (p17) deregulates the biological activities of different cells after binding to the chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. The p17 functional domain responsible for receptors interaction includes an amino acid which is considered the major determinant of SIV replication in humans. Therefore, we sought to determine whether SIV matrix protein (SIV MA) already had the ability to bind to both chemokine receptors rather than being a function newly acquired during host adaptation. We show here that SIV MA binds to CXCR1 and CXCR2 and fully mimics the p17 proangiogenic and chemokine activity. However, it differs from p17 in its ability to signal into B cells and promote B cell growth and clonogenicity. Computational analysis suggests that the accumulation of mutations in the C-terminal region may have led to a further SIV MA adaptation to the human host. This finding in turn sheds light on the evolutionary trajectory of HIV-1.
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Wang-Johanning F, Li M, Esteva FJ, Hess KR, Yin B, Rycaj K, Plummer JB, Garza JG, Ambs S, Johanning GL. Human endogenous retrovirus type K antibodies and mRNA as serum biomarkers of early-stage breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2013; 134:587-95. [PMID: 23873154 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
A simple and accurate test to detect early-stage breast cancer has not been developed. Previous studies indicate that the level of human endogenous retrovirus type K (group HERV-K(HML-2)) transcription may be increased in human breast tumors. We hypothesized that HERV-K(HML-2) reactivation can serve as a biomarker for early detection of breast cancer. Serum samples were collected from women without cancer (controls) and patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer. ELISA assays were used to detect serum anti-HERV-K(HML-2) antibody titers. RNA was extracted from sera and analyzed by real-time RT-PCR to quantitate the level of HERV-K(HML-2) mRNA. We measured significantly higher serum mRNA and serum antibody titers against HERV-K(HML-2) proteins in women with DCIS and stage I disease than in women without cancer. At optimized cutoffs for the antibody titers, the assay produced an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.77-1.00) for DCIS and of 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.89-1.00) for invasive breast cancer. These AUCs are comparable to those observed for mammograms. We also found that serum HERV-K(HML-2) mRNA tended to be higher in breast cancer patients with a primary tumor who later on developed the metastatic disease than in patients who did not develop cancer metastasis. Our results show that HERV-K(HML-2) antibodies and mRNA are already elevated in the blood at an early stage of breast cancer, and further increase in patients who are at risk of developing a metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang-Johanning
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Department of Immunology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
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Deffur A, Mulder NJ, Wilkinson RJ. Co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus: an overview and motivation for systems approaches. Pathog Dis 2013; 69:101-13. [PMID: 23821533 DOI: 10.1111/2049-632x.12060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a devastating disease that accounts for a high proportion of infectious disease morbidity and mortality worldwide. HIV-1 co-infection exacerbates tuberculosis. Enhanced understanding of the host-pathogen relationship in HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis co-infection is required. While reductionist approaches have yielded many valuable insights into disease pathogenesis, systems approaches are required that develop data-driven models able to predict emergent properties of this complex co-infection system in order to develop novel therapeutic approaches and to improve diagnostics. Here, we provide a pathogenesis-focused overview of HIV-TB co-infection followed by an introduction to systems approaches and concrete examples of how such approaches are useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Deffur
- Clinical Infectious Diseases Research Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Sharif J, Shinkai Y, Koseki H. Is there a role for endogenous retroviruses to mediate long-term adaptive phenotypic response upon environmental inputs? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20110340. [PMID: 23166400 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are long terminal repeat-containing virus-like elements that have colonized approximately 10 per cent of the present day mammalian genomes. The intracisternal A particles (IAPs) are a class of ERVs that is currently highly active in the rodents. IAP elements can influence the transcription profile of nearby genes by providing functional promoter elements and modulating local epigenetic landscape through changes in DNA methylation and histone (H3K9) modifications. Despite the potential role for IAPs in gene regulation, the precise genomic locations where these elements are integrated are not well understood. To address this issue, we have identified more than 400 novel IAP insertion sites within/near annotated genes by searching the murine genome, which suggests that the impact of IAP elements on local and/or global gene regulation could be more profound than was previously expected. On the basis of our independent analyses and already published reports, here we argue that IAPs and ERV elements in general could have an evolutionary role for modulating phenotypic plasticity upon environmental inputs, and that this could be mediated through specific stages of embryonic development such as placentation during which the epigenetic constraints on IAP elements are partially relaxed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jafar Sharif
- Developmental Genetics Group, RIKEN Research Center for Allergy & Immunology, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, 230-0045 Kanagawa, Japan.
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21
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Dawkins RL, Willamson JF, Lester S, Dawkins ST. Mutation versus polymorphism in evolution. Genomics 2013; 101:211-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2013.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Carmen J, Burger SR, McCaman M, Rowley JA. Developing assays to address identity, potency, purity and safety: cell characterization in cell therapy process development. Regen Med 2012; 7:85-100. [PMID: 22168500 DOI: 10.2217/rme.11.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge to commercializing cell-based therapies is developing scalable manufacturing processes while maintaining the critical quality parameters (identity, potency, purity, safety) of the final live cell product. Process development activities such as extended passaging and serum reduction/elimination can facilitate the streamlining of cell manufacturing process as long as the biological functions of the product remain intact. Best practices in process development will be dependent on cell characterization; a thorough understanding of the cell-based product. Unique biological properties associated with different types of cell-based products are discussed. Cell characterization may be used as a tool for successful process development activities, which can promote a candidate cell therapy product through clinical development and ultimately to a commercialized product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Carmen
- Therapeutic Cell Solutions Research & Development, Lonza Bioscience, 8830 Biggs Ford Road, Walkersville, MD 21793, USA
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23
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Age- and disease-dependent HERV-W envelope allelic variation in brain: association with neuroimmune gene expression. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19176. [PMID: 21559469 PMCID: PMC3084769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The glycoprotein, Syncytin-1, is encoded by a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-W env gene and is capable of inducing neuroinflammation. The specific allele(s) responsible for Syncytin-1 expression in the brain is uncertain. Herein, HERV-W env diversity together with Syncytin-1 abundance and host immune gene profiles were examined in the nervous system using a multiplatform approach. Results HERV-W env sequences were encoded by multiple chromosomal encoding loci in primary human neurons compared with less chromosomal diversity in astrocytes and microglia (p<0.05). HERV-W env RNA sequences cloned from brains of patients with systemic or neurologic diseases were principally derived from chromosomal locus 7q21.2. Within the same specimens, HERV-W env transcript levels were correlated with the expression of multiple proinflammatory genes (p<0.05). Deep sequencing of brain transcriptomes disclosed the env transcripts to be the most abundant HERV-W transcripts, showing greater expression in fetal compared with healthy adult brain specimens. Syncytin-1's expression in healthy brain specimens was derived from multiple encoding loci and linked to distinct immune and developmental gene profiles. Conclusions Syncytin-1 expression in the brain during disease was associated with neuroinflammation and was principally encoded by a full length provirus. The present studies also highlighted the diversity in HERV gene expression within the brain and reinforce the potential contributions of HERV expression to neuroinflammatory diseases.
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Pal N, Baker R, Schalk S, Scobie L, Tucker AW, Opriessnig T. Detection of Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (PERV) Viremia in Diseased Versus Healthy US Pigs by Qualitative and Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR. Transbound Emerg Dis 2011; 58:344-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1865-1682.2011.01210.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Abstract
Although viruses are most often studied as pathogens, many are beneficial to their hosts, providing essential functions in some cases and conditionally beneficial functions in others. Beneficial viruses have been discovered in many different hosts, including bacteria, insects, plants, fungi and animals. How these beneficial interactions evolve is still a mystery in many cases but, as discussed in this Review, the mechanisms of these interactions are beginning to be understood in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn J Roossinck
- Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Plant Biology Division, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401, USA.
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26
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Witzany G. Biocommunication and natural genome editing. World J Biol Chem 2010; 1:348-52. [PMID: 21537469 PMCID: PMC3083936 DOI: 10.4331/wjbc.v1.i11.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2010] [Revised: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/15/2010] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The biocommunicative approach investigates communication processes within and among cells, tissues, organs and organisms as sign-mediated interactions, and nucleotide sequences as code, i.e. language-like text, which follows in parallel three kinds of rules: combinatorial (syntactic), context-sensitive (pragmatic), and content-specific (semantic). Natural genome editing from a biocommunicative perspective is competent agent-driven generation and integration of meaningful nucleotide sequences into pre-existing genomic content arrangements and the ability to (re-)combine and (re-)regulate them according to context-dependent (i.e. adaptational) purposes of the host organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guenther Witzany
- Guenther Witzany, Telos-Philosophische Praxis, Vogelsangstrasse 18c, A-5111-Buermoos, Austria
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27
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Widespread horizontal gene transfer from double-stranded RNA viruses to eukaryotic nuclear genomes. J Virol 2010; 84:11876-87. [PMID: 20810725 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00955-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer commonly occurs from cells to viruses but rarely occurs from viruses to their host cells, with the exception of retroviruses and some DNA viruses. However, extensive sequence similarity searches in public genome databases for various organisms showed that the capsid protein and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase genes from totiviruses and partitiviruses have widespread homologs in the nuclear genomes of eukaryotic organisms, including plants, arthropods, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa. PCR amplification and sequencing as well as comparative evidence of junction coverage between virus and host sequences support the conclusion that these viral homologs are real and occur in eukaryotic genomes. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis suggest that these genes were likely transferred horizontally from viruses to eukaryotic genomes. Furthermore, we present evidence showing that some of the transferred genes are conserved and expressed in eukaryotic organisms and suggesting that these viral genes are also functional in the recipient genomes. Our findings imply that horizontal transfer of double-stranded RNA viral genes is widespread among eukaryotes and may give rise to functionally important new genes, thus entailing that RNA viruses may play significant roles in the evolution of eukaryotes.
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Wimmer E, Mueller S, Tumpey TM, Taubenberger JK. Synthetic viruses: a new opportunity to understand and prevent viral disease. Nat Biotechnol 2009; 27:1163-72. [PMID: 20010599 PMCID: PMC2819212 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Rapid progress in DNA synthesis and sequencing is spearheading the deliberate, large-scale genetic alteration of organisms. These new advances in DNA manipulation have been extended to the level of whole-genome synthesis, as evident from the synthesis of poliovirus, from the resurrection of the extinct 1918 strain of influenza virus and of human endogenous retroviruses and from the restructuring of the phage T7 genome. The largest DNA synthesized so far is the 582,970 base pair genome of Mycoplasma genitalium, although, as yet, this synthetic DNA has not been 'booted' to life. As genome synthesis is independent of a natural template, it allows modification of the structure and function of a virus's genetic information to an extent that was hitherto impossible. The common goal of this new strategy is to further our understanding of an organism's properties, particularly its pathogenic armory if it causes disease in humans, and to make use of this new information to protect from, or treat, human viral disease. Although only a few applications of virus synthesis have been described as yet, key recent findings have been the resurrection of the 1918 influenza virus and the generation of codon- and codon pair-deoptimized polioviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eckard Wimmer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
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29
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Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 2: retroviral symbiosis. J R Soc Med 2009; 102:324-31. [PMID: 19679734 DOI: 10.1258/jrsm.2009.090183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frank P Ryan
- Sheffield Primary Care Trust and Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield University, Sheffield, UK.
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30
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Villarreal LP, Witzany G. Viruses are essential agents within the roots and stem of the tree of life. J Theor Biol 2009; 262:698-710. [PMID: 19833132 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2009.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2009] [Revised: 09/28/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In contrast with former definitions of life limited to membrane-bound cellular life forms which feed, grow, metabolise and replicate (i) a role of viruses as genetic symbionts, (ii) along with peripheral phenomena such as cryptobiosis and (iii) the horizontal nature of genetic information acquisition and processing broaden our view of the tree of life. Some researchers insist on the traditional textbook conviction of what is part of the community of life. In a recent review [Moreira, D., Lopez-Garcia, P., 2009. Ten reasons to exclude viruses from the tree of life. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 7, 306-311.] they assemble four main arguments which should exclude viruses from the tree of life because of their inability to self-sustain and self-replicate, their polyphyly, the cellular origin of their cell-like genes and the volatility of their genomes. In this article we will show that these features are not coherent with current knowledge about viruses but that viral agents play key roles within the roots and stem of the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis P Villarreal
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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31
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Sasaki N, Ogawa Y, Iinuma C, Tomaru U, Katsumata K, Otsuka N, Kasahara M, Yoshiki T, Ishizu A. Human endogenous retrovirus-R Env glycoprotein as possible autoantigen in autoimmune disease. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2009; 25:889-96. [PMID: 19689191 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2009.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been discussed whether endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Among various human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), we have focused on HERV-R. To investigate the biological roles of HERV-R, we earlier established transgenic rats carrying the full sequence of the viral genome. In these HERV-R rats, however, no disease occurred. Another trigger that induces autoimmunity may be essential for the recognition of HERV-R products by the immune system. Thus, in this study, we mated HERV-R rats with env-pX rats (transgenic rats carrying the env-pX gene of human T cell leukemia virus type I) that develop autoimmune diseases, and generated double transgenic (DTG) rats. In DTG rats, autoimmune diseases occurred similarly in env-pX rats. Interestingly, deposition of rat IgM but not IgG was observed on the glomerular endothelial cells. Such IgM deposition was never seen in the parental HERV-R or env-pX rats. We considered that in situ formation of immune complexes consisted of the HERV-R env glycoprotein and anti-HERV-R env IgM antibodies (Abs) in DTG rats, according to the following evidence: (1) No dense deposit, representing deposition of circulating immune complexes, was seen on glomerular endothelial cells. (2) IgM Abs reactive with HERV-R env glycoprotein were generated in the serum. (3) HERV-R env glycoprotein was expressed in the kidney, specifically on glomerular endothelial cells. (4) IgM deposition was partly colocalized with the HERV-R env glycoprotein on the glomeruli. These findings strongly suggest that the HERV-R env glycoprotein is recognized as an autoantigen in the host with autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Sasaki
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yayoi Ogawa
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Chihiro Iinuma
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Utano Tomaru
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Katsumata
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Otsuka
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Masanori Kasahara
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshiki
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Akihiro Ishizu
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
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Grange J, Bottasso O, Stanford C, Stanford J. The use of mycobacterial adjuvant-based agents for immunotherapy of cancer. Vaccine 2008; 26:4984-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.06.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2008] [Revised: 05/27/2008] [Accepted: 06/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Human endogenous retrovirus K (HML-2) elements in the plasma of people with lymphoma and breast cancer. J Virol 2008; 82:9329-36. [PMID: 18632860 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00646-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Actively replicating endogenous retroviruses entered the human genome millions of years ago and became a stable part of the inherited genetic material. They subsequently acquired multiple mutations, leading to the assumption that these viruses no longer replicate. However, certain human tumor cell lines have been shown to release endogenous retroviral particles. Here we show that RNA from human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) (HML-2), a relatively recent entrant into the human genome, can be found in very high titers in the plasma of patients with lymphomas and breast cancer as measured by either reverse transcriptase PCR or nucleic acid sequence-based amplification. Further, these titers drop dramatically with cancer treatment. We also demonstrate the presence of reverse transcriptase and viral RNA in plasma fractions that contain both immature and correctly processed HERV-K (HML-2) Gag and envelope proteins. Finally, using immunoelectron microscopy, we show the presence of HERV-K (HML-2) virus-like particles in the plasma of lymphoma patients. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that elements of the endogenous retrovirus HERV-K (HML-2) can be found in the blood of modern-day humans with certain cancers.
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Witzany G. Natural genome-editing competences of viruses. Acta Biotheor 2007; 54:235-53. [PMID: 17347785 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-006-9000-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2006] [Accepted: 12/22/2006] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
It is becoming increasingly evident that the driving forces of evolutionary novelty are not randomly derived chance mutations of the genetic text, but a precise genome editing by omnipresent viral agents. These competences integrate the whole toolbox of natural genetic engineering, replication, transcription, translation, genomic imprinting, genomic creativity, enzymatic inventions and all types of genetic repair patterns. Even the non-coding, repetitive DNA sequences which were interpreted as being ancient remnants of former evolutionary stages are now recognized as being of viral descent and crucial for higher-order regulatory and constitutional functions of protein structural vocabulary. In this article I argue that non-randomly derived natural genome editing can be envisioned as (a) combinatorial (syntactic), (b) context-specific (pragmatic) and (c) content-sensitive (semantic) competences of viral agents. These three-leveled biosemiotic competences could explain the emergence of complex new phenotypes in single evolutionary events. After short descriptions of the non-coding regulatory networks, major viral life strategies and pre-cellular viral life three of the major steps in evolution serve as examples: There is growing evidence that natural genome-editing competences of viruses are essential (1) for the evolution of the eukaryotic nucleus, (2) the adaptive immune system and (3) the placental mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günther Witzany
- Philosophische Praxis, Vogelsangstr. 18c, 5111, Buermoos, Salzburg, Austria.
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Abstract
Molecular epidemiologic proof that HERVs and other retroelements are involved in autoimmunity or other disorders is complicated by their large numbers in the human genome. As discussed, most HERVs are no longer functional or active because of the accumulation of mutations, frameshifts, and deletions. Detection or quantification of HERV transcripts that may be pathologically involved in a particular autoimmune disease thus is often compromised by the presence in great excess of related, but nonfunctional, RNA. This phenomenon should not deter active work in the field, although it will require development of improved methods to discriminate accurately between closely related RNA transcripts. Development of improved immunologic methods to precisely identify epitopes on autoantigens or rare self-reactive T-cell clones may further implicate HERVs and the other repetitive elements in regulation of the immune system in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Colmegna
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 2020 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Tucker AWD, Mellencamp MM, Donadeu M, Scobie L. Retroviremia in commercial pigs and its preliminary association with poor health. J Clin Microbiol 2006; 44:3846-7. [PMID: 17021127 PMCID: PMC1594782 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01378-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Otsuka N, Miyatake Y, Ishizu A, Tanaka S, Yamamoto Y, Ikeda H, Yoshiki T. Short communication: expression of human endogenous retrovirus-R gene links to differentiation of squamous cells. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2006; 22:1148-51. [PMID: 17147502 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2006.22.1148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the biological roles of human endogenous retrovirus-R (HERV-R) in vivo, we established transgenic rats carrying the full sequence of the viral genome with control of its own long terminal repeat promoter. The Env protein was expressed on the surface of the epidermis of fetal HERV-R transgenic rats on day 10 of gestation. The epidermal Env expression disappeared by day 18 of gestation. After day 18 of gestation, the Env protein was detected in the prickle layer of the esophageal epithelium of transgenic rats. Interestingly, it was not detected in the basal layer of the epithelium, and the expression in the granular layer was weaker than in the prickle layer. These findings suggest that expression of HERV-R is linked not only to the development but also to the differentiation of squamous cells. Next, we examined alterations in the expression of the HERV-R env gene in cultured human squamous cells after exposure to all-trans retinoic acids (ATRA). The env expression was increased by ATRA in a dose-dependent manner, while the expression of transglutaminase 1 (TGM1), a terminal marker for squamous differentiation, was decreased. TGM1 is expressed in the granular layer of the squamous epithelium, and ATRA suppresses the differentiation of cultured squamous cells. Thus, these in vitro data also suggest that HERV-R expression is regulated by a mechanism closely related to the differentiation of squamous cells. This study is the first to demonstrate the association of HERV-R expression and differentiation of squamous cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Otsuka
- Department of Pathology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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Wingender G, Kronenberg M. Invariant natural killer T cells in the response to bacteria: the advent of specific antigens. Future Microbiol 2006; 1:325-40. [PMID: 17661645 DOI: 10.2217/17460913.1.3.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique subset of T lymphocytes that have been implicated in diverse immune reactions, ranging from self-tolerance and development of autoimmunity to responses to pathogens and tumors. Although some degree of autoreactivity of iNKT cells has been shown, it remained controversial whether the T-cell antigen receptor expressed by these cells could recognize microbial antigens, hampering the investigation of their physiological role during tolerance and immunity. Several recent publications have now defined natural antigens for the majority of iNKT cells in some Proteobacteria and in Borrelia burgdorferi, demonstrating specificity of these cells for microbes in addition to self-reactivity. The characterization of natural antigens from bacteria, and the iNKT cell response to bacteria containing them, are decisive steps toward the clarification of the natural role of iNKT cells in host defense against pathogens, and will likely spur numerous findings in the near future.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, CD1/immunology
- Antigens, CD1/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- Bacteria/immunology
- Humans
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Killer Cells, Natural/microbiology
- Models, Immunological
- Signal Transduction/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Wingender
- La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI), Division of Developmental Immunology, San Diego, CA 92037, USA.
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Infectious agents and gene–environmental interactions in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cnr.2006.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Lee RV. Chimeric reality and myth. J OBSTET GYNAECOL 2005; 25:743-5. [PMID: 16368575 DOI: 10.1080/01443610500314587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R V Lee
- State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
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