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Peng Y, Zhu J, Zhang Q, Zhang R, Wang Z, Ye Z, Ma N, Qin D, Pei D, Li D. Endogenous retroviral ERVH48-1 promotes human urine cell reprogramming. CELL REGENERATION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 13:17. [PMID: 39269631 PMCID: PMC11399365 DOI: 10.1186/s13619-024-00200-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), once thought to be mere remnants of ancient viral integrations in the mammalian genome, are now recognized for their critical roles in various physiological processes, including embryonic development, innate immunity, and tumorigenesis. Their impact on host organisms is significant driver of evolutionary changes, offering insight into evolutionary mechanisms. In our study, we explored the functionality of ERVs by examining single-cell transcriptomic profiles from human embryonic stem cells and urine cells. This led to the discovery of a unique ERVH48-1 expression pattern between these cell types. Additionally, somatic cell reprogramming efficacy was enhanced when ERVH48-1 was overexpressed in a urine cell-reprogramming system. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated with ERVH48-1 overexpression recapitulated the traits of those produced by traditional reprogramming approaches, and the resulting iPSCs demonstrated the capability to differentiate into all three germ layers in vitro. Our research elucidated the role of ERVs in somatic cell reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuling Peng
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, China
| | - Jieying Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510530, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
| | - Zesen Ye
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ning Ma
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dajiang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510530, China
- GuangDong Engineering Technology Research Center of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Early Clinical Trials of Biotechnology Drugs, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duanqing Pei
- Laboratory of Cell Fate Control, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Dongwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510799, China.
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Khare S, Villalba MI, Canul-Tec JC, Cajiao AB, Kumar A, Backovic M, Rey FA, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Perez C, Reyes N. Receptor-recognition and antiviral mechanisms of retrovirus-derived human proteins. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:1368-1376. [PMID: 38671230 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Human syncytin-1 and suppressyn are cellular proteins of retroviral origin involved in cell-cell fusion events to establish the maternal-fetal interface in the placenta. In cell culture, they restrict infections from members of the largest interference group of vertebrate retroviruses, and are regarded as host immunity factors expressed during development. At the core of the syncytin-1 and suppressyn functions are poorly understood mechanisms to recognize a common cellular receptor, the membrane transporter ASCT2. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human ASCT2 in complexes with the receptor-binding domains of syncytin-1 and suppressyn. Despite their evolutionary divergence, the two placental proteins occupy similar positions in ASCT2, and are stabilized by the formation of a hybrid β-sheet or 'clamp' with the receptor. Structural predictions of the receptor-binding domains of extant retroviruses indicate overlapping binding interfaces and clamping sites with ASCT2, revealing a competition mechanism between the placental proteins and the retroviruses. Our work uncovers a common ASCT2 recognition mechanism by a large group of endogenous and disease-causing retroviruses, and provides high-resolution views on how placental human proteins exert morphological and immunological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashank Khare
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IECB, Bordeaux, France
| | - Miryam I Villalba
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IECB, Bordeaux, France
| | - Juan C Canul-Tec
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IECB, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Anand Kumar
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IECB, Bordeaux, France
| | - Marija Backovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, Paris, France
| | - Felix A Rey
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, Paris, France
| | - Els Pardon
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Camilo Perez
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Nicolas Reyes
- Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, IECB, Bordeaux, France.
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Sugimoto J, Schust DJ, Sugimoto M, Jinno Y, Kudo Y. Controlling Trophoblast Cell Fusion in the Human Placenta-Transcriptional Regulation of Suppressyn, an Endogenous Inhibitor of Syncytin-1. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1627. [PMID: 38002309 PMCID: PMC10668956 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell fusion in the placenta is tightly regulated. Suppressyn is a human placental endogenous retroviral protein that inhibits the profusogenic activities of another well-described endogenous retroviral protein, syncytin-1. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying suppressyn's placenta-specific expression. We identified the promoter region and a novel enhancer region for the gene encoding suppressyn, ERVH48-1, and examined their regulation via DNA methylation and their responses to changes in the oxygen concentration. Like other endogenous retroviral genes, the ERVH48-1 promoter sequence is found within a characteristic retroviral 5' LTR sequence. The novel enhancer sequence we describe here is downstream of this LTR sequence (designated EIEs: ERV internal enhancer sequence) and governs placental expression. The placenta-specific expression of ERVH48-1 is tightly controlled by DNA methylation and further regulated by oxygen concentration-dependent, hypoxia-induced transcription factors (HIF1α and HIF2α). Our findings highlight the involvement of (1) tissue specificity through DNA methylation, (2) expression specificity through placenta-specific enhancer regions, and (3) the regulation of suppressyn expression in differing oxygen conditions by HIF1α and HIF2α. We suggest that these regulatory mechanisms are central to normal and abnormal placental development, including the development of disorders of pregnancy involving altered oxygenation, such as preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and fetal growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Sugimoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan (Y.K.)
| | - Danny J. Schust
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Makiko Sugimoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan (Y.K.)
| | - Yoshihiro Jinno
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Kudo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan (Y.K.)
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Oda T. In Vitro Expression Analysis Reveals HML6-c14 to Be an Attractive Research Target. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1378. [PMID: 37759778 PMCID: PMC10526471 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
HML6-c14, a long terminal repeat (LTR)-type retrotransposon identified by expressed sequence tag (EST) database screening, was found to undergo RNA processing resembling that of placental tissue by in vitro expression analysis. Previous in situ hybridization studies using normal placental tissue showed that the transcript remained in the nucleus. However, among the transcripts forcedly expressed in cultured cells, the transcript that retained the 3.3 kb intron was observed in the nucleus, and a part of the spliced transcript was observed outside the nucleus. To verify whether this cytoplasmic transcript could be translated, we examined the coding potential of the open reading frame (ORF), consisting of 109 codons on the spliced transcript, along with two other putative ORFs detected in the intronic region. As a result, none of the ORF-derived products could be detected by Western blotting as fusion proteins tagged with the FLAG epitope, suggesting that HML6-c14 belongs to a group of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes. Promoter analysis of the upstream 6.4 kb genomic region also suggested that the 5'-LTR itself potentially retains high promoter activity. Despite losing the ability to produce functional proteins, HML6-c14 continues to retain its transcriptional ability while converting to an lncRNA gene, which is an interesting subject for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaya Oda
- Department of Human Molecular Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Uehara 207, Nishihara, Nakagami 9030215, Okinawa, Japan
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Chen B, Xu K, Zhang Y, Xu P, Li C, Liu J, Xu Y. LncRNA ERVH48-1 Contributes to the Drug Resistance of Prostate Cancer and Proliferation through Sponging of miR-4784 to the Activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061902. [PMID: 36980789 PMCID: PMC10046998 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061902] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are very important in the way that docetaxel resistance (DR) happens in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. ImmuneScore and StromalScore were calculated using PCa-related expression data from TCGA and the ESTIMATE algorithm. We finally found the DEGs that were related to the immune system and the stroma of the patients by making profiles of the DEGs in ImmuneScore and StromalScore. The CancerSubtypes algorithm identified prognosis-related PCa subtypes, and the GSVA assessed their pathway activity. A UniCox regression analysis was used to identify a prognosis-related differential gene set. We then used intersection analysis to identify immunological and prognostic (IP)-related genes (IPGs). The coexpression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and IPGs was used to identify IP-related lncRNAs (IPLs). Three methods (SVM-RFE, random forest, and LASSO) were used to find genes that overlap in the GEO database. A gene signature was then validated by building an ROC curve. CIBERSORT technology was used to look at the possibility of a link between the gene signature and immune cells. LncRNA-miRNA pairs and miRNA-mRNA pairs from the miRDB and TargetScan databases were used to construct the ERVH48-1-miR-4784-WNT2B ceRNA regulation network. The concentration of docetaxel elevated the expression of ERVH48-1. Overexpression of ERVH48-1 increased PCa-DR cell proliferation, invasion, and migration while inhibiting apoptosis. ERVH48-1 increased the tumorigenicity of PCa-DR cells in nude mice. ERVH48-1, acting as a ceRNA, targeted miR-4784 to increase WNT2B expression. ICG001 therapy increased Wnt/-catenin signaling activity in PCa-DR cells by inhibiting ERVH48-1. Finally, ERVH48-1 increased docetaxel resistance in a WNT2B-dependent manner via the miR-4784/Wnt/-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binshen Chen
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Chaoming Li
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
| | - Yawen Xu
- Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immune Diseases, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China
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Human Endogenous Retroviruses: Friends and Foes in Urology Clinics. Int Neurourol J 2022; 26:275-287. [PMID: 36599336 PMCID: PMC9816444 DOI: 10.5213/inj.2244284.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are originated from ancient exogenous retroviruses, which infected human germ line cells millions of years ago. HERVs have generally lost their replication and retrotransposition abilities, but adopted physiological roles in human biology. Though mostly inactive, HERVs can be reactivated by internal and external factors such as inflammations and environmental conditions. Their aberrant expression can participate in various human malignancies with complex etiology. This review describes the features and functions of HERVs in urological subjects, such as urological cancers and human reproduction. It provides the current knowledge of the HERVs and useful insights helping practice in urology clinics.
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Renaud SJ, Jeyarajah MJ. How trophoblasts fuse: an in-depth look into placental syncytiotrophoblast formation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:433. [PMID: 35859055 PMCID: PMC11072895 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04475-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In humans, cell fusion is restricted to only a few cell types under normal conditions. In the placenta, cell fusion is a critical process for generating syncytiotrophoblast: the giant multinucleated trophoblast lineage containing billions of nuclei within an interconnected cytoplasm that forms the primary interface separating maternal blood from fetal tissue. The unique morphology of syncytiotrophoblast ensures that nutrients and gases can be efficiently transferred between maternal and fetal tissue while simultaneously restricting entry of potentially damaging substances and maternal immune cells through intercellular junctions. To maintain integrity of the syncytiotrophoblast layer, underlying cytotrophoblast progenitor cells terminate their capability for self-renewal, upregulate expression of genes needed for differentiation, and then fuse into the overlying syncytium. These processes are disrupted in a variety of obstetric complications, underscoring the importance of proper syncytiotrophoblast formation for pregnancy health. Herein, an overview of key mechanisms underlying human trophoblast fusion and syncytiotrophoblast development is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Renaud
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada.
| | - Mariyan J Jeyarajah
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A5C1, Canada
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Involvement of the HERV-derived cell-fusion inhibitor, suppressyn, in the fusion defects characteristic of the trisomy 21 placenta. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10552. [PMID: 35732788 PMCID: PMC9218086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14104-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Suppressyn (SUPYN) is the first host-cell encoded mammalian protein shown to inhibit cell–cell fusion. Its expression is restricted to the placenta, where it negatively regulates syncytia formation in villi. Since its chromosomal localization overlaps with the Down syndrome critical region and the TS21 placenta is characterized by delayed maturation of cytotrophoblast cells and reduced syncytialization, we hypothesized a potential link between changes in SUPYN expression and morphologic abnormalities in the TS21 placenta. Here we demonstrate that an increase in chromosomal copy number in the TS21 placenta is associated with: (1) reduced fusion of cytotrophoblast cells into syncytiotrophoblast in vivo, (2) increased SUPYN transcription, translation and secretion in vivo, (3) increased SUPYN/syncytin-1 receptor degradation in vivo, (4) increased SUPYN transcription and secretion ex vivo, (5) decreased cytotrophoblast cell fusion ex vivo, and (6) reciprocal response of changes in SUPYN and CGB in TS21 placental cells ex vivo. These data suggest direct links between immature placentation in Down syndrome and increased SUPYN. Finally, we report a significant increase in secreted SUPYN concentration in maternal serum in women with pregnancies affected by Down syndrome, suggesting that SUPYN may be useful as an alternate or additional diagnostic marker for this disease.
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