Newly identified families of human endogenous retroviruses.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Polavarapu N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1472038 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Newly identified families of human endogenous retroviruses.
Polavarapu Nalini N Bowen Nathan J NJ McDonald John F JF
Journal of virology 20060501 9
Similar Datasets
Project description:Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are a family of viruses within our genome with similarities to present day exogenous retroviruses. HERVs have been inherited by successive generations and it is possible that some have conferred biological benefits. However, several HERVs have been implicated in certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. This article demystifies these retroviruses by providing an insight into HERVs, their means of classification, and a synopsis of HERVs implicated in cancer and autoimmunity. Furthermore, the biological roles of HERVs are explored.
| S-EPMC1187282 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The human endogenous retroviruses database (HERVd) is maintained at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and is accessible via the World Wide Web at http://herv.img.cas.cz. The HERVd provides complex information on and analysis of retroviral elements found in the human genome. It can be used for searches of individual HERV families, identification of HERV parts, graphical output of HERV structures, comparison of HERVs and identification of retrovirus integration sites.
| S-EPMC99133 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and deadly brain tumor. It is primarily diagnosed in the elderly and has a 5-year survival rate of less than 6% even with the most aggressive therapies. The lack of biomarkers has made the development of immunotherapy for GBM challenging. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are a group of viruses with long terminal repeat (LTR) elements, which are believed to be relics from ancient viral infections. Recent studies have found that those repetitive elements play important roles in regulating various biological processes. The differentially expressed LTR elements from HERVs are potential biomarkers for immunotherapy to treat GBM. However, the understanding of the LTR element expression in GBM is greatly lacking. We obtained 1077.4 GB of sequencing data from public databases. These data were generated from 111 GBM tissue studies, 30 GBM cell lines studies, and 45 normal brain tissues studies. We analyzed repetitive elements that were differentially expressed in GBM and normal brain samples. We found that 48 LTR elements were differentially expressed (p-value < 0.05) between GBM and normal brain tissues, of which 46 were HERV elements. Among these 46 elements, 34 significantly changed HERVs belong to the ERV1 superfamily. Furthermore, 43 out of the 46 differentially expressed HERV elements were upregulated. Our results indicate significant differential expression of many HERV LTR elements in GBM and normal brain tissues. Expression levels of these elements could be developed as biomarkers for GBM treatments.
| S-EPMC8067472 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The causes of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have long remained elusive. A new category of pathogenic components, normally dormant within human genomes, has been identified: human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). These represent ∼8% of the human genome, and environmental factors have reproducibly been shown to trigger their expression. The resulting production of envelope (Env) proteins from HERV-W and HERV-K appears to engage pathophysiological pathways leading to the pathognomonic features of MS and ALS, respectively. Pathogenic HERV elements may thus provide a missing link in understanding these complex diseases. Moreover, their neutralization may represent a promising strategy to establish novel and more powerful therapeutic approaches.
| S-EPMC7185488 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections that are part the human genome and are normally silenced through epigenetic mechanisms. However, HERVs can be induced by various host and environmental factors, including viral infection, and transcriptionally active HERVs have been implicated in various physiological processes. In this review, we summarize mounting evidence of transactivation of HERVs by a wide range of DNA and RNA viruses. Though a mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon and the biological implications are still largely missing, the link between exogenous and endogenous viruses is intriguing. Considering the increasing recognition of the role of viral infections in disease, understanding these interactions provides novel insights into human health.
| S-EPMC11599155 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose of the reviewThe aim of this review is to discuss recent data pointing at an involvement of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) onset and progression.Recent findingsThe envelope protein of HERV-W family, named HERV-W-Env, was detected in pancreata from T1D patients and was shown to display pro-inflammatory properties and direct toxicity toward pancreatic beta cells. The etiopathogenesis of T1D remains elusive, even if conventional environmental viral infections have been recurrently involved. Nonetheless, a new category of pathogens may provide the missing link between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors long thought to contribute to T1D onset. A number of studies have now shown that HERV sequences, which are normally inactivated or repressed in the human genome, could be activated by environmental viruses. Thus, if similarly activated by viruses associated with T1D, disregarded HERV genes may underlie T1D genetic susceptibility. Moreover, once expressed, HERV elements may display broad pathogenic properties, which identify them as potential new therapeutic targets.
| S-EPMC6872510 | biostudies-literature
Project description:MotivationRetroviruses are important contributors to disease and evolution in vertebrates. Sometimes, retrovirus DNA is heritably inserted in a vertebrate genome: an endogenous retrovirus (ERV). Vertebrate genomes have many such virus-derived fragments, usually with mutations disabling their original functions.ResultsSome primate ERVs appear to encode an overlooked protein. This protein is homologous to protein MC132 from Molluscum contagiosum virus, which is a human poxvirus, not a retrovirus. MC132 suppresses the immune system by targeting NF- κ B, and it had no known homologs until now. The ERV homologs of MC132 in the human genome are mostly disrupted by mutations, but there is an intact copy on chromosome 4. We found homologs of MC132 in ERVs of apes, monkeys and bushbaby, but not tarsiers, lemurs or non-primates. This suggests that some primate retroviruses had, or have, an extra immune-suppressing protein, which underwent horizontal genetic transfer between unrelated viruses.Contactmcfrith@edu.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
| S-EPMC9927554 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC10759522 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are ancient retroviral elements, which invaded the human germ line several million years ago. Subsequent retrotransposition events amplified these sequences, resulting in approximately 8% of the human genome being composed of HERV sequences today. These genetic elements, normally dormant within human genomes, can be (re)-activated by environmental factors such as infections with other viruses, leading to the expression of viral proteins and, in some instances, even to viral particle production. Several studies have shown that the expression of these retroviral elements correlates with the onset and progression of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Further studies provided evidence on additional roles for HERVs in schizophrenia (SCZ). Since these diseases are still not well understood, HERVs might constitute a new category of pathogenic components that could significantly change our understanding of these pathologies. Moreover, knowledge about their mode of action might also help to develop novel and more powerful approaches for the treatment of these complex diseases. Therefore, the main scope of this review is a description of the current knowledge on the involvement of HERV-W and HERV-K in neurological disease specifically focusing on the effects they exert on neural cells of the central nervous system.
| S-EPMC6637040 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The placenta is a fast-evolving organ with large morphological and histological differences across eutherians, but the genetic changes driving placental evolution have not been fully elucidated. Transposable elements, through their capacity to quickly generate genetic variation and affect host gene regulation, may have helped to define species-specific trophoblast gene expression programs. Here we assess the contribution of transposable elements to human trophoblast gene expression as enhancers or promoters. Using epigenomic data from primary human trophoblast and trophoblast stem-cell lines, we identified multiple endogenous retrovirus families with regulatory potential that lie close to genes with preferential expression in trophoblast. These largely primate-specific elements are associated with inter-species gene expression differences and are bound by transcription factors with key roles in placental development. Using genetic editing, we demonstrate that several elements act as transcriptional enhancers of important placental genes, such as CSF1R and PSG5. We also identify an LTR10A element that regulates ENG expression, affecting secretion of soluble endoglin, with potential implications for preeclampsia. Our data show that transposons have made important contributions to human trophoblast gene regulation, and suggest that their activity may affect pregnancy outcomes.
| S-EPMC10113160 | biostudies-literature