Placental syncytins: Genetic disjunction between the fusogenic and immunosuppressive activity of retroviral envelope proteins.

ABSTRACT: We have previously demonstrated that the envelope proteins of a murine and primate retrovirus are immunosuppressive in vivo. This property was manifested by the ability of the proteins, when expressed by allogeneic tumor cells normally rejected by engrafted mice, to have the env-expressing cells escape (at least transiently) immune rejection. Here, we analyzed the immunosuppressive activity of the human and murine syncytins. These are envelope genes from endogenous retroviruses independently coopted by ancestral hosts, conserved in evolution, specifically expressed in the placenta, and with a cell-cell fusogenic activity likely contributing to placenta morphogenesis. We show that in both humans and mice, one of the two syncytins (human syncytin-2 and mouse syncytin-B) is immunosuppressive

SUBMITTER: Mangeney M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2154466 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature