Heparanase, a host gene that potently restricts retrovirus transcription.

ABSTRACT: Heparanase (HPSE) is a heterodimeric β-D-glucuronidase that is critical in mammalian cells for the enzymatic cleavage of membrane-associated heparan sulfate moieties. Apart from its enzymatic function, HPSE has important non-enzymatic functions, which include transcriptional regulation, chromatin modification, and modulation of various signaling pathways. Interestingly, while HPSE is an interferon-stimulated gene, past reports have shown that it has proviral properties for many different viruses, including herpes simplex virus 1, as it assists virus release from infected cells. However, as of yet, no antiviral functions associated with HPSE have been described. Here, we show that HPSE utilizes a hitherto unknown mechanism to restrict retroviruses by targeting the step of proviral tr

SUBMITTER: Waxman B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11980367 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature