IFITM1 suppresses expression of human endogenous retroviruses in human embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1), a member of the IFITM protein family, is a component of a multimeric complex involved in the transduction of antiproliferation and cell adhesion signals. IFITM1 is thought to play a role in antiproliferation and immune surveillance, and has been shown to restrict infection by numerous viruses. It is highly expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) but its role in hESCs remains to be elucidated. In this study, knockout of IFITM1 mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in hESCs did not affect self-renewal, pluripotency, telomerase activity or telomeres. However expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) was higher than in wild-type hESCs, and there was also a reduced level of trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 at HERV loci. The

SUBMITTER: Fu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5537067 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature