1
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Atay C, Medina-Echeverz J, Hochrein H, Suter M, Hinterberger M. Armored modified vaccinia Ankara in cancer immunotherapy. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 379:87-142. [PMID: 37541728 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy relies on unleashing the patient´s immune system against tumor cells. Cancer vaccines aim to stimulate both the innate and adaptive arms of immunity to achieve durable clinical responses. Some roadblocks for a successful cancer vaccine in the clinic include the tumor antigen of choice, the adjuvants employed to strengthen antitumor-specific immune responses, and the risks associated with enhancing immune-related adverse effects in patients. Modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) belongs to the family of poxviruses and is a versatile vaccine platform that combines several attributes crucial for cancer therapy. First, MVA is an excellent inducer of innate immune responses leading to type I interferon secretion and induction of T helper cell type 1 (Th1) immune responses. Second, it elicits robust and durable humoral and cellular immunity against vector-encoded heterologous antigens. Third, MVA has enormous genomic flexibility, which allows for the expression of multiple antigenic and costimulatory entities. And fourth, its replication deficit in human cells ensures a excellent safety profile. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how MVA induces innate and adaptive immune responses. Furthermore, we will give an overview of the tumor-associated antigens and immunomodulatory molecules that have been used to armor MVA and describe their clinical use. Finally, the route of MVA immunization and its impact on therapeutic efficacy depending on the immunomodulatory molecules expressed will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cigdem Atay
- Bavarian Nordic GmbH, Fraunhoferstr.13, Planegg, Germany
| | | | | | - Mark Suter
- Prof. em. University of Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Ma G, Babarinde IA, Zhou X, Hutchins AP. Transposable Elements in Pluripotent Stem Cells and Human Disease. Front Genet 2022; 13:902541. [PMID: 35719395 PMCID: PMC9201960 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.902541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are mobile genetic elements that can randomly integrate into other genomic sites. They have successfully replicated and now occupy around 40% of the total DNA sequence in humans. TEs in the genome have a complex relationship with the host cell, being both potentially deleterious and advantageous at the same time. Only a tiny minority of TEs are still capable of transposition, yet their fossilized sequence fragments are thought to be involved in various molecular processes, such as gene transcriptional activity, RNA stability and subcellular localization, and chromosomal architecture. TEs have also been implicated in biological processes, although it is often hard to reveal cause from correlation due to formidable technical issues in analyzing TEs. In this review, we compare and contrast two views of TE activity: one in the pluripotent state, where TEs are broadly beneficial, or at least mechanistically useful, and a second state in human disease, where TEs are uniformly considered harmful.
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3
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Mao J, Zhang Q, Cong YS. Human endogenous retroviruses in development and disease. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5978-5986. [PMID: 34849202 PMCID: PMC8604659 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent ∼8% of human genome, deriving from exogenous retroviral infections of germ line cells occurred millions of years ago and being inherited by the offspring in a Mendelian fashion. Most of HERVs are nonprotein-coding because of the accumulation of mutations, insertions, deletions, and/or truncations. It has been long thought that HERVs were "junk DNA". However, it is now known that HERVs are involved in various biological processes through encoding proteins, acting as promoters/enhancers, or lncRNAs to affect human health and disease. In this review, we summarized recent findings about HERVs, with implications in embryonic development, pluripotency, cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Mao
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Cong
- Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Normal University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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4
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Dittmar T, Weiler J, Luo T, Hass R. Cell-Cell Fusion Mediated by Viruses and HERV-Derived Fusogens in Cancer Initiation and Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5363. [PMID: 34771528 PMCID: PMC8582398 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell fusion is a well-known, but still scarcely understood biological phenomenon, which might play a role in cancer initiation, progression and formation of metastases. Although the merging of two (cancer) cells appears simple, the entire process is highly complex, energy-dependent and tightly regulated. Among cell fusion-inducing and -regulating factors, so-called fusogens have been identified as a specific type of proteins that are indispensable for overcoming fusion-associated energetic barriers and final merging of plasma membranes. About 8% of the human genome is of retroviral origin and some well-known fusogens, such as syncytin-1, are expressed by human (cancer) cells. Likewise, enveloped viruses can enable and facilitate cell fusion due to evolutionarily optimized fusogens, and are also capable to induce bi- and multinucleation underlining their fusion capacity. Moreover, multinucleated giant cancer cells have been found in tumors derived from oncogenic viruses. Accordingly, a potential correlation between viruses and fusogens of human endogenous retroviral origin in cancer cell fusion will be summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dittmar
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, 58448 Witten, Germany;
| | - Julian Weiler
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, 58448 Witten, Germany;
| | - Tianjiao Luo
- Biochemistry and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Ralf Hass
- Biochemistry and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
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5
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Maung MT, Carlson A, Olea-Flores M, Elkhadragy L, Schachtschneider KM, Navarro-Tito N, Padilla-Benavides T. The molecular and cellular basis of copper dysregulation and its relationship with human pathologies. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21810. [PMID: 34390520 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100273rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for the activity of redox-active enzymes involved in critical metabolic reactions, signaling pathways, and biological functions. Transporters and chaperones control Cu ion levels and bioavailability to ensure proper subcellular and systemic Cu distribution. Intensive research has focused on understanding how mammalian cells maintain Cu homeostasis, and how molecular signals coordinate Cu acquisition and storage within organs. In humans, mutations of genes that regulate Cu homeostasis or facilitate interactions with Cu ions lead to numerous pathologic conditions. Malfunctions of the Cu+ -transporting ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B cause Menkes disease and Wilson disease, respectively. Additionally, defects in the mitochondrial and cellular distributions and homeostasis of Cu lead to severe neurodegenerative conditions, mitochondrial myopathies, and metabolic diseases. Cu has a dual nature in carcinogenesis as a promotor of tumor growth and an inducer of redox stress in cancer cells. Cu also plays role in cancer treatment as a component of drugs and a regulator of drug sensitivity and uptake. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of Cu metabolism and transport and its relation to various human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- May T Maung
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Alyssa Carlson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | - Monserrat Olea-Flores
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
| | - Lobna Elkhadragy
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kyle M Schachtschneider
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Napoleon Navarro-Tito
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Guerrero, Mexico
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6
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Ko EJ, Song KS, Ock MS, Choi YH, Kim S, Kim HS, Cha HJ. Expression profiles of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancers. BMB Rep 2021. [PMID: 33691904 PMCID: PMC8328825 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2021.54.7.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate genome contains an endogenous retrovirus that has been inherited from the past millions of years. Although approximately 8% of human chromosomal DNA consists of sequences derived from human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) fragments, most of the HERVs are currently inactive and non-infectious due to recombination, deletions, and mutations after insertion into the host genome. Several studies suggested that Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) factors are significantly related to certain cancers. However, only limited studies have been conducted to analyze the expression of HERV derived elements at protein levels in certain cancers. Herein, we analyzed the expression profiles of HERV-K envelope (Env) and HERV-R Env proteins in eleven different kinds of cancer tissues. Furthermore, the expression patterns of both protein and correlation with various clinical data in each tissue were analyzed. The expressions of both HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env protein were identified to be significantly high in most of the tumors compared with normal surrounding tissues. Correlations between HERV Env expressions and clinical investigations varied depending on the HERV types and cancers. Overall expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env proteins were different in every individual but a similar pattern of expressions was observed in the same individual. These results demonstrate the expression profiles of HERV-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancer tissues and provide a good reference for the association of endogenous retroviral Env proteins in the progression of various cancers. Furthermore, the results elucidate the relationship between HERV-Env expression and the clinical significance of certain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Ko
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Kyoung Seob Song
- Department of Physiology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Mee Sun Ock
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Korea
| | - Suhkmann Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Hee-Jae Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
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7
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Ko EJ, Song KS, Ock MS, Choi YH, Kim S, Kim HS, Cha HJ. Expression profiles of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancers. BMB Rep 2021; 54:368-373. [PMID: 33691904 PMCID: PMC8328825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate genome contains an endogenous retrovirus that has been inherited from the past millions of years. Although approximately 8% of human chromosomal DNA consists of sequences derived from human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) fragments, most of the HERVs are currently inactive and noninfectious due to recombination, deletions, and mutations after insertion into the host genome. Several studies suggested that Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) factors are significantly related to certain cancers. However, only limited studies have been conducted to analyze the expression of HERV derived elements at protein levels in certain cancers. Herein, we analyzed the expression profiles of HERV-K envelope (Env) and HERV-R Env proteins in eleven different kinds of cancer tissues. Furthermore, the expression patterns of both protein and correlation with various clinical data in each tissue were analyzed. The expressions of both HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env protein were identified to be significantly high in most of the tumors compared with normal surrounding tissues. Correlations between HERV Env expressions and clinical investigations varied depending on the HERV types and cancers. Overall expression patterns of HERV-K Env and HERV-R Env proteins were different in every individual but a similar pattern of expressions was observed in the same individual. These results demonstrate the expression profiles of HERV-K and HERV-R Env proteins in various cancer tissues and provide a good reference for the association of endogenous retroviral Env proteins in the progression of various cancers. Furthermore, the results elucidate the relationship between HERV-Env expression and the clinical significance of certain cancers. [BMB Reports 2021; 54(7): 368-373].
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Ko
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Kyoung Seob Song
- Department of Physiology, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea
| | - Mee Sun Ock
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Yung Hyun Choi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongeui University, Busan 47227, Korea
| | - Suhkmann Kim
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Heui-Soo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Hee-Jae Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Genetics, Busan 46241, Korea
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8
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Engel K, Wieland L, Krüger A, Volkmer I, Cynis H, Emmer A, Staege MS. Identification of Differentially Expressed Human Endogenous Retrovirus Families in Human Leukemia and Lymphoma Cell Lines and Stem Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:637981. [PMID: 33996550 PMCID: PMC8117144 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.637981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are becoming more and more relevant in cancer research and might be potential targets. The oncogenic potential of human ERVs (HERVs) has been recognized and includes immunosuppression, cell fusion, antigenicity of viral proteins, and regulation of neighboring genes. To decipher the role of HERVs in human cancers, we used a bioinformatics approach and analyzed RNA sequencing data from the LL-100 panel, covering 22 entities of hematopoietic neoplasias including T cell, B cell and myeloid malignancies. We compared HERV expression in this panel with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and normal blood cells. RNA sequencing data were mapped against a comprehensive synthetic viral metagenome with 116 HERV sequences from 14 different HERV families. Of these, 13 HERV families and elements were differently expressed in malignant hematopoietic cells and stem cells. We found transcriptional upregulation of HERVE family in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia and of HERVFc family in multiple myeloma/plasma cell leukemia (PCL). The HERVFc member HERVFc-1 was found transcriptionally active in the multiple myeloma cell line OPM-2 and also in the Hodgkin lymphoma cell line L-428. The expression of HERVFc-1 in L-428 cells was validated by qRT-PCR. We also confirm transcriptional downregulation of ERV3 in acute megakaryocytic and erythroid leukemia, and HERVK in acute monocytic and myelocytic leukemia and a depression of HERVF in all malignant entities. Most of the higher expressed HERV families could be detected in stem cells including HERVK (HML-2), HERV-like, HERVV, HERVT, ERV9, HERVW, HERVF, HERVMER, ERV3, HERVH and HERVPABLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Engel
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Lisa Wieland
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Anna Krüger
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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9
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Yuan Z, Yang Y, Zhang N, Soto C, Jiang X, An Z, Zheng WJ. Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Glioblastoma Multiforme. Microorganisms 2021; 9:764. [PMID: 33917421 PMCID: PMC8067472 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
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. METHODS 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. RESULTS 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. CONCLUSION 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Yuan
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Yuntao Yang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Wenjin Jim Zheng
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.Y.); (X.J.)
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10
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Motwani J, Rodger EJ, Stockwell PA, Baguley BC, Macaulay EC, Eccles MR. Genome-wide DNA methylation and RNA expression differences correlate with invasiveness in melanoma cell lines. Epigenomics 2021; 13:577-598. [PMID: 33781093 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims & objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of DNA methylation in invasiveness in melanoma cells. Materials & methods: The authors carried out genome-wide transcriptome (RNA sequencing) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing methylome profiling between noninvasive (n = 4) and invasive melanoma cell lines (n = 5). Results: The integration of differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated fragments (DMFs) identified 12 DMFs (two in AVPI1, one in HMG20B, two in BCL3, one in NTSR1, one in SYNJ2, one in ROBO2 and four in HORMAD2) that overlapped with either differentially expressed genes (eight DMFs and six genes) or cis-targets of lncRNAs (five DMFs associated with cis-targets and four differentially expressed lncRNAs). Conclusions: DNA methylation changes are associated with a number of transcriptional differences observed in noninvasive and invasive phenotypes in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Motwani
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School - Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Euan J Rodger
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School - Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Peter A Stockwell
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School - Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Bruce C Baguley
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.,Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Erin C Macaulay
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School - Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Michael R Eccles
- Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School - Dunedin Campus, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Level 2, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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11
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HERV-K Gag RNA and Protein Levels Are Elevated in Malignant Regions of the Prostate in Males with Prostate Cancer. Viruses 2021; 13:v13030449. [PMID: 33802118 PMCID: PMC7999808 DOI: 10.3390/v13030449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Heightened expression of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences has been associated with a range of malignancies, including prostate cancer, suggesting that they may serve as useful diagnostic or prognostic cancer biomarkers. We analysed the expression of HERV-K (Gag and Env/Np9 regions), HERV-E 4.1 (Pol and Env regions), HERV-H (Pol) and HERV-W (Gag) sequences in prostate cancer cells lines and normal prostate epithelial cells using qRT-PCR. HERV expression was also analysed in matched malignant and benign prostate tissue samples from men with prostate cancer (n = 27, median age 65.2 years (range 47-70)) and compared to prostate cancer-free male controls (n = 11). Prostate cancer epithelial cell lines exhibited a signature of HERV RNA overexpression, with all HERVs analysed, except HERV-E Pol, showing heightened expression in at least two, but more commonly all, cell lines analysed. Analysis of primary prostate material indicated increased expression of HERV-E Pol but decreased expression of HERV-E Env in both malignant and benign regions of the prostate in men with prostate cancer as compared to those without. Expression of HERV-K Gag was significantly higher in malignant regions of the prostate in men with prostate cancer as compared to matched benign regions and prostate cancer-free men (p < 0.001 for both), with 85.2% of prostate cancers donors showing malignancy-associated upregulation of HERV-K Gag RNA. HERV-K Gag protein was detected in 12/18 (66.7%) malignant tissues using immunohistochemistry, but only 1/18 (5.6%) benign tissue sections. Heightened expression of HERV-K Gag RNA and protein appears to be a sensitive and specific biomarker of prostate malignancy in this cohort of men with prostate carcinoma, supporting its potential utility as a non-invasive, adjunct clinical biomarker.
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12
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Saini SK, Ørskov AD, Bjerregaard AM, Unnikrishnan A, Holmberg-Thydén S, Borch A, Jensen KV, Anande G, Bentzen AK, Marquard AM, Tamhane T, Treppendahl MB, Gang AO, Dufva IH, Szallasi Z, Ternette N, Pedersen AG, Eklund AC, Pimanda J, Grønbæk K, Hadrup SR. Human endogenous retroviruses form a reservoir of T cell targets in hematological cancers. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5660. [PMID: 33168830 PMCID: PMC7653045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) form a substantial part of the human genome, but mostly remain transcriptionally silent under strict epigenetic regulation, yet can potentially be reactivated by malignant transformation or epigenetic therapies. Here, we evaluate the potential for T cell recognition of HERV elements in myeloid malignancies by mapping transcribed HERV genes and generating a library of 1169 potential antigenic HERV-derived peptides predicted for presentation by 4 HLA class I molecules. Using DNA barcode-labeled MHC-I multimers, we find CD8+ T cell populations recognizing 29 HERV-derived peptides representing 18 different HERV loci, of which HERVH-5, HERVW-1, and HERVE-3 have more profound responses; such HERV-specific T cells are present in 17 of the 34 patients, but less frequently in healthy donors. Transcriptomic analyses reveal enhanced transcription of the HERVs in patients; meanwhile DNA-demethylating therapy causes a small and heterogeneous enhancement in HERV transcription without altering T cell recognition. Our study thus uncovers T cell recognition of HERVs in myeloid malignancies, thereby implicating HERVs as potential targets for immunotherapeutic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar Saini
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andreas Due Ørskov
- Department of Haematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne-Mette Bjerregaard
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ashwin Unnikrishnan
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Staffan Holmberg-Thydén
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Annie Borch
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kathrine Valentini Jensen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Govardhan Anande
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Amalie Kai Bentzen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andrea Marion Marquard
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tripti Tamhane
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Anne Ortved Gang
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Inge Høgh Dufva
- Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Zoltan Szallasi
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicola Ternette
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anders Gorm Pedersen
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Aron Charles Eklund
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - John Pimanda
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Haematology Department, South Eastern Area Laboratory Services, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Kirsten Grønbæk
- Department of Haematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sine Reker Hadrup
- Department of Health Technology, Section of Experimental and Translational Immunology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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13
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Cao W, Kang R, Xiang Y, Hong J. Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Biological Functions and Clinical Values. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:7877-7885. [PMID: 32821127 PMCID: PMC7423347 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s259534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) form an important part of the human genome, commonly losing their coding ability and exhibiting only rare expression in healthy tissues to promote the stability of the genome. However, overexpression of HERVs has been observed in various malignant tumors, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and may be closely correlated with tumorigenesis and progression. HERVs may activate the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway by a viral mimicry process to enhance antitumor immune responses. There is increasing interest in the diagnostic and prognostic value of HERVs in cancers, and they may be candidate targets for tumor immunotherapy. The review will introduce the biological functions of HERVs in ccRCC and their clinical value, especially in regard to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Cao
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran Kang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yining Xiang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jidong Hong
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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14
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Xue B, Sechi LA, Kelvin DJ. Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HML-2) in Health and Disease. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1690. [PMID: 32765477 PMCID: PMC7380069 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are derived from exogenous retrovirus infections in the evolution of primates and account for about 8% of the human genome. They were considered as silent passengers within our genomes for a long time, however, reactivation of HERVs has been associated with tumors and autoimmune diseases, especially the HERV-K (HML-2) family, the most recent integration groups with the least number of mutations and the most biologically active to encode functional retroviral proteins and produce retrovirus-like particles. Increasing studies are committed to determining the potential role of HERV-K (HML-2) in pathogenicity. Although there is still no evidence for HERV-K (HML-2) as a direct cause of diseases, aberrant expression profiles of the HERV-K (HML-2) transcripts and their regulatory function to their proximal host-genes were identified in different diseases. In this review, we summarized the advances between HERV-K (HML-2) and diseases to provide basis for further studies on the causal relationship between HERV-K (HML-2) and diseases. We recommended more attention to polymorphic integrated HERV-K (HML-2) loci which could be genetic causative factors and be associated with inter-individual differences in tumorigenesis and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Xue
- Division of Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Leonardo A. Sechi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Mediterranean Center for Disease Control, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - David J. Kelvin
- Division of Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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15
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Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Cancer: A Potential Biomarker and Immunotherapeutic Target. Viruses 2020; 12:v12070726. [PMID: 32640516 PMCID: PMC7412025 DOI: 10.3390/v12070726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In diseases where epigenetic mechanisms are changed, such as cancer, many genes show altered gene expression and inhibited genes become activated. Human endogenous retrovirus type K (HERV-K) expression is usually inhibited in normal cells from healthy adults. In tumor cells, however, HERV-K mRNA expression has been frequently documented to increase. Importantly, HERV-K-derived proteins can act as tumor-specific antigens, a class of neoantigens, and induce immune responses in different types of cancer. In this review, we describe the function of the HERV-K HML-2 subtype in carcinogenesis as biomarkers, and their potential as targets for cancer immunotherapy.
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16
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Kaplan MH, Contreras-Galindo R, Jiagge E, Merajver SD, Newman L, Bigman G, Dosik MH, Palapattu GS, Siddiqui J, Chinnaiyan AM, Adebamowo S, Adebamowo C. Is the HERV-K HML-2 Xq21.33, an endogenous retrovirus mutated by gene conversion of chromosome X in a subset of African populations, associated with human breast cancer? Infect Agent Cancer 2020; 15:19. [PMID: 32165916 PMCID: PMC7060579 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-020-00284-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human endogenous retroviruses HERV-K HML-2 have been considered a possible cause of human breast cancer (BrC). A HERV-K HML-2 fully intact provirus Xq21.33 was recently identified in some West African people. We used PCR technology to search for the Xq21.33 provirus in DNA from Nigerian women with BrC and controls. to see if Xq21.33 plays any role in predisposing to BrC. This provirus was detected in 27 of 216 (12.5%) women with BrC and in 22 of 219 (10.0%) controls. These results were not statistically significant. The prevalence of provirus in premenopausal control women 44 years or younger [18/157 (11.46%)} vs women with BrC [12/117 (10.26%)] showed no statistical difference. The prevalence of virus in postmenopausal control women > 45 yrs. was 7.4% (4/54) vs 15.31% (15/98) in postmenopausal women with BrC. These changes were not statistically significant at <.05, but the actual p value of <.0.079, suggests that Xq21.33 might play some role in predisposing to BrC in postmenopausal women. Provirus was present in Ghanaian women (6/87), in 1/6 Pygmy populations and in African American men (4/45) and women (6/68), but not in any Caucasian women (0/109). Two BrC cell lines (HCC 70 and DT22) from African American women had Xq21.33. Env regions of the virus which differed by 2-3 SNPs did not alter the protein sequence of the virus. SNP at 5730 and 8529 were seen in all persons with provirus, while 54% had an additional SNP at 7596.Two Nigerian women and 2 Ghanaian women had additional unusual SNPs. Homozygosity was seen in (5/27) BrC and (2/22) control women. The genetic variation and homozygosity patterns suggested that there was gene conversion of this X chromosome associated virus. The suggestive finding in this preliminary data of possible increased prevalence of Xq21.33 provirus in post-menopausal Nigerian women with BrC should be clarified by a more statistically powered study sample to see if postmenopausal African and/or African American women carriers of Xq21.33 might show increased risk of BrC. The implication of finding such a link would be the development of antiretroviral drugs that might aid in preventing BrC in Xq21.33+ women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Kaplan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | | | - Evelyn Jiagge
- Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Mi USA
| | - Sofia D. Merajver
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Lisa Newman
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021 USA
| | - Galya Bigman
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Michael H. Dosik
- Department of Internal Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook Medical, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
| | | | - Javed Siddiqui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Arul M. Chinnaiyan
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Sally Adebamowo
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Clement Adebamowo
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
- Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
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17
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Smith CC, Selitsky SR, Chai S, Armistead PM, Vincent BG, Serody JS. Alternative tumour-specific antigens. Nat Rev Cancer 2019; 19:465-478. [PMID: 31278396 PMCID: PMC6874891 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-019-0162-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The study of tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) as targets for antitumour therapies has accelerated within the past decade. The most commonly studied class of TSAs are those derived from non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), or SNV neoantigens. However, to increase the repertoire of available therapeutic TSA targets, 'alternative TSAs', defined here as high-specificity tumour antigens arising from non-SNV genomic sources, have recently been evaluated. Among these alternative TSAs are antigens derived from mutational frameshifts, splice variants, gene fusions, endogenous retroelements and other processes. Unlike the patient-specific nature of SNV neoantigens, some alternative TSAs may have the advantage of being widely shared by multiple tumours, allowing for universal, off-the-shelf therapies. In this Opinion article, we will outline the biology, available computational tools, preclinical and/or clinical studies and relevant cancers for each alternative TSA class, as well as discuss both current challenges preventing the therapeutic application of alternative TSAs and potential solutions to aid in their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof C Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sara R Selitsky
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Bioinformatics Core, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shengjie Chai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paul M Armistead
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Program in Computational Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Program in Computational Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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18
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Effects of Bisphenol A on endogenous retroviral envelopes expression and trophoblast fusion in BeWo cells. Reprod Toxicol 2019; 89:35-44. [PMID: 31278978 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Placenta is a target organ of Bisphenol A (BPA). To investigate possible effects on syncytiotrophoblast, the exchanging surface between mother and fetus, we exposed a trophoblast model (BeWo) to BPA concentrations occurring in humans (1 and 50 nM). We assessed the gene and protein expression of three human endogenous retroviral envelopes, specifically expressed in placenta (ERVW-1, ERVFRD-1 and ERV3-1), the secretion of β-hCG, the extent of trophoblast fusion and the activity of apoptosis markers (caspases 8, 3, 9 and PARP); additionally, the gene expression of transcription factors regulating HERV expression (i.e. GCM1, PPARγ, ERα and ERβ) was evaluated. At 50 nM, BPA induced ERVW-1, ERVFRD-1 and the corresponding syncytin proteins, ERV3-1, PPARγ, ERα and ERβ expression, increased β-hCG secretion and BeWo cells fusion, thus promoting the syncytiotrophoblast phenotype. The results support placenta as a target organ of BPA. Possible implications on fetal and pregnancy health should be carefully considered.
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19
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Close to the Bedside: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Retroviruses and Their Impact in Oncology. J Surg Res 2019; 240:145-155. [PMID: 30933828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genetic elements in the human genome, which resulted from ancient retroviral germline infections. HERVs have strong transcriptional promoters and enhancers that affect a cell's transcriptome. They also encode proteins that can exert effects in human cells. This review examines how our increased understanding of HERVs have led to their potential use as biomarkers and immunologic targets. MATERIAL AND METHODS PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were used in a systematic search to identify all articles studying the potential impact of HERVs on surgical diseases. The search included studies that involved clinical patient samples in diseases including cancer, inflammatory conditions, and autoimmune disease. Articles focused on conditions not routinely managed by surgeons were excluded. RESULTS Eighty six articles met inclusion and quality criteria for this review and were included. Breast cancer and melanoma have robust evidence regarding the use of HERVs as potential tumor markers and immunologic targets. Reported evidence of the activity of HERVs in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular cancer, prostate and ovarian cancer, germ cell tumors as well as idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, and the inflammatory response in burns was also reviewed. CONCLUSIONS Increasingly convincing evidence indicates that HERVs may play a role in solid organ malignancy and present important biomarkers or immunologic targets in multiple cancers. Innovative investigation of HERVs is a valuable focus of translational research and can deepen our understanding of cellular physiology and the effects of endogenous retroviruses on human biology. As strategies for treatment continue to focus on genome-based interventions, understanding the impact of endogenous retroviruses on human disease will be critical.
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20
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Uygur B, Leikina E, Melikov K, Villasmil R, Verma SK, Vary CPH, Chernomordik LV. Interactions with Muscle Cells Boost Fusion, Stemness, and Drug Resistance of Prostate Cancer Cells. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:806-820. [PMID: 30587522 PMCID: PMC8312562 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Poorly understood interactions with nonmalignant cells within the tumor microenvironment play an important role in cancer progression. Here, we explored interactions between prostate cancer and muscle cells that surround the prostate. We found that coculturing of prostate cancer cells with skeletal or smooth muscle cells expands the subpopulations of cancer cells with features characteristic of cancer stem-like cells, including anchorage-independent growth, elevated CD133 expression, and drug resistance. These changes in the properties of cancer cells depend on: (i) the muscle cell-induced increases in the concentrations of interleukins 4 and 13; (ii) the cytokine-induced upregulation of the expression of syncytin 1 and annexin A5; and (iii) cancer cell fusion. In human prostate cancer tissues, expression of syncytin 1 and annexin A5, proteins that we found to be required for the cell fusion, positively correlated with the cancer development suggesting that these proteins can be used as biomarkers to evaluate cancer progression and potential therapeutic targets. IMPLICATIONS: The discovered effects of muscle cells on prostate cancer cells reveal a novel and specific pathway by which muscle cells in the microenvironment of prostate cancer cells promote cell fusion and cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berna Uygur
- Section on Membrane Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Evgenia Leikina
- Section on Membrane Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kamran Melikov
- Section on Membrane Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Santosh K Verma
- Section on Membrane Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Calvin P H Vary
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, Maine
| | - Leonid V Chernomordik
- Section on Membrane Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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21
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Smith CC, Beckermann KE, Bortone DS, De Cubas AA, Bixby LM, Lee SJ, Panda A, Ganesan S, Bhanot G, Wallen EM, Milowsky MI, Kim WY, Rathmell WK, Swanstrom R, Parker JS, Serody JS, Selitsky SR, Vincent BG. Endogenous retroviral signatures predict immunotherapy response in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:4804-4820. [PMID: 30137025 PMCID: PMC6205406 DOI: 10.1172/jci121476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (hERVs) are remnants of exogenous retroviruses that have integrated into the genome throughout evolution. We developed a computational workflow, hervQuant, which identified more than 3,000 transcriptionally active hERVs within The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer RNA-Seq database. hERV expression was associated with clinical prognosis in several tumor types, most significantly clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We explored two mechanisms by which hERV expression may influence the tumor immune microenvironment in ccRCC: (i) RIG-I-like signaling and (ii) retroviral antigen activation of adaptive immunity. We demonstrated the ability of hERV signatures associated with these immune mechanisms to predict patient survival in ccRCC, independent of clinical staging and molecular subtyping. We identified potential tumor-specific hERV epitopes with evidence of translational activity through the use of a ccRCC ribosome profiling (Ribo-Seq) dataset, validated their ability to bind HLA in vitro, and identified the presence of MHC tetramer-positive T cells against predicted epitopes. hERV sequences identified through this screening approach were significantly more highly expressed in ccRCC tumors responsive to treatment with programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibition. hervQuant provides insights into the role of hERVs within the tumor immune microenvironment, as well as evidence that hERV expression could serve as a biomarker for patient prognosis and response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christof C. Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kathryn E. Beckermann
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dante S. Bortone
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Bioinformatics Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aguirre A. De Cubas
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lisa M. Bixby
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samuel J. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anshuman Panda
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; and Department of Physics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shridar Ganesan
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; and Department of Physics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gyan Bhanot
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; and Department of Physics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Eric M. Wallen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Urology
| | - Matthew I. Milowsky
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - William Y. Kim
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Urology,,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine,,Department of Genetics
| | - W. Kimryn Rathmell
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ronald Swanstrom
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and
| | - Joel S. Parker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Bioinformatics Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Genetics
| | - Jonathan S. Serody
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine
| | - Sara R. Selitsky
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Bioinformatics Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Benjamin G. Vincent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine,,Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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22
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Matteucci C, Balestrieri E, Argaw-Denboba A, Sinibaldi-Vallebona P. Human endogenous retroviruses role in cancer cell stemness. Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 53:17-30. [PMID: 30317035 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer incidence and mortality, metastasis, drug resistance and recurrence are still the critical issues of oncological diseases. In this scenario, increasing scientific evidences demonstrate that the activation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) is involved in the aggressiveness of tumors such as melanoma, breast, germ cell, renal, ovarian, liver and haematological cancers. In their dynamic regulation, HERVs have also proved to be important determinants of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells (ESC) and of the reprogramming process of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In many types of tumors, essential characteristics of aggressiveness have been associated with the achievement of stemness features, often accompanied with the identification of defined subpopulations, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs), which possess stem cell-like properties and sustain tumorigenesis. Indeed, CSCs show high self-renewal capacity with a peculiar potential in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, heterogeneity, recurrence, radiotherapy and drug resistance. However, HERVs role in CSCs biology is still not fully elucidated. In this regard, CD133 is a widely recognized marker of CSCs, and our group demonstrated, for the first time, the requirement of HERV-K activation to expand and maintain a CD133+ melanoma cell subpopulation with stemness features in response to microenvironmental modifications. The review will discuss HERVs expression as cancer hallmark, with particular focus on their role in the regulation of cancer stemness features and the potential involvement as targets for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Matteucci
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Balestrieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Ayele Argaw-Denboba
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Sinibaldi-Vallebona
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy; Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, Via Fosso del Cavaliere, 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
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23
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Bustamante Rivera YY, Brütting C, Schmidt C, Volkmer I, Staege MS. Endogenous Retrovirus 3 - History, Physiology, and Pathology. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2691. [PMID: 29379485 PMCID: PMC5775217 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous viral elements (EVE) seem to be present in all eukaryotic genomes. The composition of EVE varies between different species. The endogenous retrovirus 3 (ERV3) is one of these elements that is present only in humans and other Catarrhini. Conservation of ERV3 in most of the investigated Catarrhini and the expression pattern in normal tissues suggest a putative physiological role of ERV3. On the other hand, ERV3 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of auto-immunity and cancer. In the present review we summarize knowledge about this interesting EVE. We propose the model that expression of ERV3 (and probably other EVE loci) under pathological conditions might be part of a metazoan SOS response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Brütting
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Caroline Schmidt
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Ines Volkmer
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Martin S Staege
- Department of Paediatrics I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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24
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Ho XD, Nguyen HG, Trinh LH, Reimann E, Prans E, Kõks G, Maasalu K, Le VQ, Nguyen VH, Le NTN, Phung P, Märtson A, Lattekivi F, Kõks S. Analysis of the Expression of Repetitive DNA Elements in Osteosarcoma. Front Genet 2017; 8:193. [PMID: 29250102 PMCID: PMC5714928 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare malignant bone tumor. It affects mostly young persons and has poor outcome with the present treatment. No improvement was observed since the introduction of chemotherapy. The better understanding of osteosarcoma development could indicate better management strategy. Repetitive DNA elements were found to play a role in cancer mechanism especially in epithelial tumors but not yet analyzed in osteosarcoma. We conducted the study to analyse the expression profile of repetitive elements (RE) in osteosarcoma. Methods: Fresh bone paired (tumor and normal bone) samples were obtained from excised parts of tumors of 18 patients with osteosarcoma. We performed sequencing of RNA extracted from 36 samples (18 tumor tissues and 18 normal bone for controls), mapped raw reads to the human genome and identified the REs. EdgeR package was used to analyse the difference in expression of REs between osteosarcoma and normal bone. Results: 82 REs were found differentially expressed (FDR < 0.05) between osteosarcoma and normal bone. Out of all significantly changed REs, 35 were upregulated and 47 were downregulated. HERVs (THE1C-int, LTR5, MER57F and MER87B) and satellite elements (HSATII, ALR-alpha) were the most significantly differential expressed elements between osteosarcoma and normal tissues. These results suggest significant impact of REs in the osteosarcoma. The role of REs should be further studied to understand the mechanism they have in the genesis of osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan D Ho
- Department of Oncology, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam.,Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hoang G Nguyen
- Department of Oncology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Le H Trinh
- Department of Oncology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ene Reimann
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Reproductive Biology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ele Prans
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Gea Kõks
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Katre Maasalu
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Clinic of Traumatology and Orthopaedics of Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Van Q Le
- Department of Oncology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Van H Nguyen
- Department of Oncology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nghi T N Le
- Department of Orthopedics, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Phuong Phung
- Department of Oncology, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Aare Märtson
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Clinic of Traumatology and Orthopaedics of Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Freddy Lattekivi
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sulev Kõks
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Reproductive Biology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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25
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de Mulder M, SenGupta D, Deeks SG, Martin JN, Pilcher CD, Hecht FM, Sacha JB, Nixon DF, Michaud HA. Anti-HERV-K (HML-2) capsid antibody responses in HIV elite controllers. Retrovirology 2017; 14:41. [PMID: 28830571 PMCID: PMC5568399 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-017-0365-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) comprise approximately 8% of the human genome and while the majority are transcriptionally silent, the most recently integrated HERV, HERV-K (HML-2), remains active. During HIV infection, HERV-K (HML-2) specific mRNA transcripts and viral proteins can be detected. In this study, we aimed to understand the antibody response against HERV-K (HML-2) Gag in the context of HIV-1 infection. RESULTS We developed an ELISA assay using either recombinant protein or 164 redundant "15mer" HERV-K (HML-2) Gag peptides to test sera for antibody reactivity. We identified a total of eight potential HERV-K (HML-2) Gag immunogenic domains: two on the matrix (peptides 16 and 31), one on p15 (peptide 85), three on the capsid (peptides 81, 97 and 117), one on the nucleocapsid (peptide 137) and one on the QP1 protein (peptide 157). Four epitopes (peptides 16, 31, 85 and 137) were highly immunogenic. No significant differences in antibody responses were found between HIV infected participants (n = 40) and uninfected donors (n = 40) for 6 out of the 8 epitopes tested. The antibody response against nucleocapsid (peptide 137) was significantly lower (p < 0.001), and the response to QP1 (peptide 157) significantly higher (p < 0.05) in HIV-infected adults compared to uninfected individuals. Among those with HIV infection, the level of response against p15 protein (peptide 85) was significantly lower in untreated individuals controlling HIV ("elite" controllers) compared to untreated non-controllers (p < 0.05) and uninfected donors (p < 0.05). In contrast, the response against the capsid protein (epitopes 81 and 117) was significantly higher in controllers compared to uninfected donors (p < 0.001 and <0.05 respectively) and non-controllers (p < 0.01 and <0.05). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from study participants were tested for responses against HERV-K (HML-2) capsid recombinant peptide in gamma interferon (IFN-γ) enzyme immunospot (Elispot) assays. We found that the HERV-K (HML-2) Gag antibody and T cell response by Elispot were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS HIV elite controllers had a strong cellular and antibody response against HERV-K (HML-2) Gag directed mainly against the Capsid region. Collectively, these data suggest that anti-HERV-K (HML-2) antibodies targeting capsid could have an immunoprotective effect in HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel de Mulder
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Ross Hall 604, 2300 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA
| | - Devi SenGupta
- Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, CA USA
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Steven G. Deeks
- HIV/AIDS Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Jeffrey N. Martin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Christopher D. Pilcher
- HIV/AIDS Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Frederick M. Hecht
- HIV/AIDS Program, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Jonah B. Sacha
- Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, CA USA
| | - Douglas F. Nixon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Ross Hall 604, 2300 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Henri-Alexandre Michaud
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
- Equipe Immunité et Cancer, Institut de Recherche en Cancérlogie de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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26
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Pérot P, Mullins CS, Naville M, Bressan C, Hühns M, Gock M, Kühn F, Volff JN, Trillet-Lenoir V, Linnebacher M, Mallet F. Expression of young HERV-H loci in the course of colorectal carcinoma and correlation with molecular subtypes. Oncotarget 2016; 6:40095-111. [PMID: 26517682 PMCID: PMC4741882 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.5539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Expression of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-H family has been associated with colorectal carcinomas (CRC), yet no individual HERV-H locus expression has been thoroughly correlated with clinical data. Here, we characterized HERV-H reactivations in clinical CRC samples by integrating expression profiles, molecular patterns and clinical data. Expression of relevant HERV-H sequences was analyzed by qRT-PCR on two well-defined clinical cohorts (n = 139 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal colon tissue) including samples from adenomas (n = 21) and liver metastases (n = 16). Correlations with clinical and molecular data were assessed. Results CRC specific HERV-H sequences were validated and found expressed throughout CRC disease progression. Correlations between HERV-H expression and lymph node invasion of tumor cells (p = 0.0006) as well as microsatellite instable tumors (p < 0.0001) were established. No association with regard to age, tumor localization, grading or common mutations became apparent. Interestingly, CRC expressed elements belonged to specific young HERV-H subfamilies and their 5′ LTR often presented active histone marks. Conclusion These results suggest a functional role of HERV-H sequences in colorectal carcinogenesis. The pronounced connection with microsatellite instability warrants a more detailed investigation. Thus, HERV-H sequences in addition to tumor specific mutations may represent clinically relevant, truly CRC specific markers for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Pérot
- Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite, France.,Current address: Institut Pasteur, Laboratory for Pathogen Discovery, Paris, France
| | - Christina Susanne Mullins
- Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite, France.,Centre d'Investigation des Thérapeutiques en Oncologie et Hématologie, EMR 3738 Lyon Claude Bernard University, Institut de Cancérologie des Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Magali Naville
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS/Université Lyon I, Lyon, France
| | - Cédric Bressan
- Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite, France
| | - Maja Hühns
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Michael Gock
- Department of General, Thoracic, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Florian Kühn
- Department of General, Thoracic, Vascular and Transplantation Surgery, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jean-Nicolas Volff
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS/Université Lyon I, Lyon, France
| | - Véronique Trillet-Lenoir
- Centre d'Investigation des Thérapeutiques en Oncologie et Hématologie, EMR 3738 Lyon Claude Bernard University, Institut de Cancérologie des Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Michael Linnebacher
- Department of General Surgery, Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - François Mallet
- Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite, France
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27
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Michna A, Schötz U, Selmansberger M, Zitzelsberger H, Lauber K, Unger K, Hess J. Transcriptomic analyses of the radiation response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma subclones with different radiation sensitivity: time-course gene expression profiles and gene association networks. Radiat Oncol 2016; 11:94. [PMID: 27455841 PMCID: PMC4960706 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-016-0672-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acquired and inherent radioresistance of tumor cells is related to tumor relapse and poor prognosis - not only in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Therefore, systemic in-depth analyses are needed to identify key regulators of radioresistance. In the present study, subclones of the CAL-33 HNSCC cell line with different radiosensitivity were analyzed to identify signaling pathways related to the different phenotypes. METHODS Subclones with altered radiosensitivity were generated by fractionated irradiation of the parental CAL-33 cells. Differences in radiosensitivity were confirmed in colony formation assays. Selected subclones were characterized at the genomic and transcriptomic level by SKY, array CGH, and mRNA-microarray analyses. Time-course gene expression analyses upon irradiation using a natural cubic spline regression model identified temporally differentially expressed genes. Moreover, early and late responding genes were identified. Gene association networks were reconstructed using partial correlation. The Reactome pathway database was employed to conduct pathway enrichment analyses. RESULTS The characterization of two subclones with enhanced radiation resistance (RP) and enhanced radiosensitivity (SP) revealed distinct genomic and transcriptomic changes compared to the parental cells. Differentially expressed genes after irradiation shared by both subclones pointed to important pathways of the early and late radiation response, including senescence, apoptosis, DNA repair, Wnt, PI3K/AKT, and Rho GTPase signaling. The analysis of the most important nodes of the gene association networks revealed pathways specific to the radiation response in different phenotypes of radiosensitivity. Exemplarily, for the RP subclone the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) together with GPCR ligand binding were considered as crucial. Also, the expression of endogenous retrovirus ERV3-1in response to irradiation has been observed, and the related gene association networks have been identified. CONCLUSIONS Our study presents comprehensive gene expression data of CAL-33 subclones with different radiation sensitivity. The resulting networks and pathways associated with the resistant phenotype are of special interest and include the SASP. The radiation-associated expression of ERV3-1 also appears highly attractive for further studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying acquired radioresistance. The identified pathways may represent key players of radioresistance, which could serve as potential targets for molecularly designed, therapeutical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Michna
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schötz
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Selmansberger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Horst Zitzelsberger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kirsten Lauber
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Kristian Unger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julia Hess
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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28
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Kozlov AP. Expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors. Infect Agent Cancer 2016; 11:34. [PMID: 27437030 PMCID: PMC4949931 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-016-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily novel genes originated through different molecular mechanisms are expressed in tumors. Sometimes the expression of evolutionarily novel genes in tumors is highly specific. Moreover positive selection of many human tumor-related genes in primate lineage suggests their involvement in the origin of new functions beneficial to organisms. It is suggested to consider the expression of evolutionarily young or novel genes in tumors as a new biological phenomenon, a phenomenon of TSEEN (tumor specifically expressed, evolutionarily novel) genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. P. Kozlov
- The Biomedical Center and Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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29
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Hohn O, Mostafa S, Norley S, Bannert N. Development of an antigen-capture ELISA for the detection of the p27-CA protein of HERV-K(HML-2). J Virol Methods 2016; 234:186-92. [PMID: 27142113 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The detection or quantification of retroviruses is often achieved using an antigen-capture ELISA (AC-ELISA) that targets the Gag capsid (CA) protein. We report here the development of an AC-ELISA specific for the p27-CA protein of HERV-K(HML-2). A monoclonal p27-specific antibody is used for capture and a polyclonal anti-p27-CA immune serum generated in rabbits serves for detection. The assay was shown to be specific for HERV-K(HML-2), showing no evidence of cross reactivity with the human retroviruses HIV-1, HIV-2 and HTLV-1 or with XMRV (as a model non-human gammaretrovirus). Using purified recombinant antigen, the limit of detection was shown to be 130pg/ml. The AC-ELISA can be used to quantify HERV-K(HML-2) expression in teratocarcinoma cell lines and to normalize HERV particles generated by transfecting HEK 293T cells with full-length molecular clones. This novel AC-ELISA also proved useful in studies of virus regulation, for example in demonstrating that HERV-K(HML-2) expression is dramatically enhanced by overexpression of Staufen-1, a binding partner of the HERV-K(HML-2) Rec protein. This specific and sensitive HERV-K(HML-2) AC-ELISA will be a useful tool for investigating many aspects of endogenous retroviruses, from basic research to the role they may play in human diseases or as a surrogate marker for particular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Hohn
- Robert Koch Institute, Division for HIV and Other Retroviruses, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Saeed Mostafa
- Robert Koch Institute, Division for HIV and Other Retroviruses, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephen Norley
- Robert Koch Institute, Division for HIV and Other Retroviruses, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Bannert
- Robert Koch Institute, Division for HIV and Other Retroviruses, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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30
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Mullins CS, Hühns M, Krohn M, Peters S, Cheynet V, Oriol G, Guillotte M, Ducrot S, Mallet F, Linnebacher M. Generation, Characterization and Application of Antibodies Directed against HERV-H Gag Protein in Colorectal Samples. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153349. [PMID: 27119520 PMCID: PMC4847760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction A substantial part of the human genome originates from transposable elements, remnants of ancient retroviral infections. Roughly 8% of the human genome consists of about 400,000 LTR elements including human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences. Mainly, the interplay between epigenetic and post-transcriptional mechanisms is thought to silence HERV expression in most physiological contexts. Interestingly, aberrant reactivation of several HERV-H loci appears specific to colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Results The expression of HERV-H Gag proteins (Gag-H) was assessed using novel monoclonal mouse anti Gag-H antibodies. In a flow cytometry screen four antibody clones were tested on a panel of primary CRC cell lines and the most well performing ones were subsequently validated in western blot analysis. Finally, Gag-H protein expression was analyzed by immune histology on cell line cytospins and on clinical samples. There, we found a heterogeneous staining pattern with no background staining of endothelial, stromal and infiltrating immune cells but diffuse staining of the cytoplasm for positive tumor and normal crypt cells of the colonic epithelium. Conclusion Taken together, the Gag-H antibody clone(s) present a valuable tool for staining of cells with colonic origin and thus form the basis for future more detailed investigations. The observed Gag-H protein staining in colonic epithelium crypt cells demands profound analyses of a potential role for Gag-H in the normal physiology of the human gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S. Mullins
- University Medicine Rostock, Department of General Surgery, Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, Schillingallee 69, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Maja Hühns
- University Medicine Rostock, Institute of Pathology, Strempelstraße 14, 18055 Rostock, Germany
| | - Mathias Krohn
- University Medicine Rostock, Department of General Surgery, Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, Schillingallee 69, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Sven Peters
- University Medicine Rostock, Department of General Surgery, Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, Schillingallee 69, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Valérie Cheynet
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Bâtiment 3F, 69495, Pierre Bénite cedex, Lyon, France
| | - Guy Oriol
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Bâtiment 3F, 69495, Pierre Bénite cedex, Lyon, France
| | | | - Sandrine Ducrot
- R&D Immunoassay, bioMérieux, Raw Material Department, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - François Mallet
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Bâtiment 3F, 69495, Pierre Bénite cedex, Lyon, France
- EA Pathophysiology of injury-induced immunosuppression, University of Lyon1–Hospices Civils de Lyon–bioMérieux,Hôpital Edouard Herriot, 5, Place d’Arsonval, 69437 LYON Cedex 3, Lyon, France
| | - Michael Linnebacher
- University Medicine Rostock, Department of General Surgery, Molecular Oncology and Immunotherapy, Schillingallee 69, 18057 Rostock, Germany
- * E-mail:
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31
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Cherkasova E, Scrivani C, Doh S, Weisman Q, Takahashi Y, Harashima N, Yokoyama H, Srinivasan R, Linehan WM, Lerman MI, Childs RW. Detection of an Immunogenic HERV-E Envelope with Selective Expression in Clear Cell Kidney Cancer. Cancer Res 2016; 76:2177-85. [PMID: 26862115 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-3139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
VHL-deficient clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC), the most common form of kidney cancer, express transcripts derived from the novel human endogenous retrovirus HERV-E (named CT-RCC HERV-E). In this study, we define a transcript encoding the entire envelope gene of HERV-E as expressed selectively in ccRCC tumors, as distinct from normal kidney tissues or other tumor types. Sequence analysis of this envelope transcript revealed long open reading frames encoding putative surface and transmembrane envelope proteins. Retroviral envelopes are known to be capable of eliciting immunity in humans. Accordingly, we found that HLA-A*0201-restricted peptides predicted to be products of the CT-RCC HERV-E envelope transcript-stimulated CD8(+) T cells, which could recognize HLA-A*0201-positive HERV-E-expressing kidney tumor cells. Overall, our results offer evidence of unique HERV-E envelope peptides presented on the surface of ccRCC cells, offering potentially useful tumor-restricted targets for T-cell-based immunotherapy of kidney cancer. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2177-85. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cherkasova
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Claire Scrivani
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Susan Doh
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Quinn Weisman
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yoshiyuki Takahashi
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nanae Harashima
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hisayuki Yokoyama
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | | | - Michael I Lerman
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Richard W Childs
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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32
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Human endogenous retrovirus group E and its involvement in diseases. Viruses 2015; 7:1238-57. [PMID: 25785516 PMCID: PMC4379568 DOI: 10.3390/v7031238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retrovirus group E (HERV-E) elements are stably integrated into the human genome, transmitted vertically in a Mendelian manner, and are endowed with transcriptional activity as alternative promoters or enhancers. Such effects are under the control of the proviral long terminal repeats (LTR) that are organized into three HERV-E phylogenetic subgroups, namely LTR2, LTR2B, and LTR2C. Moreover, HERV-E expression is tissue-specific, and silenced by epigenetic constraints that may be disrupted in cancer, autoimmunity, and human placentation. Interest in HERV-E with regard to these conditions has been stimulated further by concerns regarding the capacity of HERV-E elements to modify the expression of neighboring genes and/or to produce retroviral proteins, including immunosuppressive env peptides, which in turn may induce (auto)-antibody (Ab) production. Finally, better understanding of HERV-E elements may have clinical applications for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.
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Lokossou AG, Toudic C, Barbeau B. Implication of human endogenous retrovirus envelope proteins in placental functions. Viruses 2014; 6:4609-27. [PMID: 25421890 PMCID: PMC4246240 DOI: 10.3390/v6114609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Revised: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) represent 8% of the total human genome. Although the majority of these ancient proviral sequences have only retained non-coding long terminal repeats (LTRs), a number of “endogenized” retroviral genes encode functional proteins. Previous studies have underlined the implication of these ERV-derived proteins in the development and the function of the placenta. In this review, we summarize recent findings showing that two ERV genes, termed Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-2, which encode former envelope (Env) proteins, trigger fusion events between villous cytotrophoblasts and the peripheral multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast layer. Such fusion events maintain the stability of this latter cell structure, which plays an important role in fetal development by the active secretion of various soluble factors, gas exchange and regulation of fetomaternal immunotolerance. We also highlight new studies showing that these ERV proteins, in addition to their localization at the cell surface of cytotrophoblasts, are also incorporated on the surface of various extracellular microvesicles, including exosomes. Such exosome-associated proteins could be involved in the various functions attributed to these vesicles and could provide a form of tropism. Additionally, through their immunosuppressive domains, these ERV proteins could also contribute to fetomaternal immunotolerance in a local and more distal manner. These various aspects of the implication of Syncytin-1 and -2 in placental function are also addressed in the context of the placenta-related disorder, preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adjimon Gatien Lokossou
- Département des Sciences Biologiques and Centre de recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2080 Saint-Urbain, Montréal, PQ H2X 3X8, Canada.
| | - Caroline Toudic
- Département des Sciences Biologiques and Centre de recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2080 Saint-Urbain, Montréal, PQ H2X 3X8, Canada.
| | - Benoit Barbeau
- Département des Sciences Biologiques and Centre de recherche BioMed, Université du Québec à Montréal, 2080 Saint-Urbain, Montréal, PQ H2X 3X8, Canada.
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Lv H, Han J, Liu J, Zheng J, Zhong D, Liu R. ISDTool: A computational model for predicting immunosuppressive domain of HERVs. Comput Biol Chem 2014; 49:45-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Trans-activation, post-transcriptional maturation, and induction of antibodies to HERV-K (HML-2) envelope transmembrane protein in HIV-1 infection. Retrovirology 2014; 11:10. [PMID: 24472118 PMCID: PMC3907665 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-11-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) comprise about 8% of the human genome and have lost their ability to replicate or to produce infectious particles after having accumulated mutations over time. We assessed the kinetics of expression of HERV-K (HML-2) Envelope mRNA transcript and surface unit (SU) and transmembrane (TM) subunit proteins during HIV-1 infection. We also mapped the specificity of the humoral response to HERV-K (HML-2) Envelope protein in HIV-1 infected subjects at different stages of disease, and correlated the response with plasma viral load. Results We found that HIV-1 modified HERV-K (HML-2) Env mRNA expression, resulting in the expression of a fully N-glycosylated HERV-K (HML-2) envelope protein on the cell surface. Serological mapping of HERV-K (HML-2) envelope protein linear epitopes revealed two major immunogenic domains, one on SU and another on the ectodomain of TM. The titers of HERV-K (HML-2) TM antibodies were dramatically increased in HIV-1 infected subjects (p < 0.0001). HIV-1 infected adults who control HIV-1 in the absence of therapy (“elite” controllers) had a higher titer response against TM compared to antiretroviral-treated adults (p < 0.0001) and uninfected adults (p < 0.0001). Conclusions These data collectively suggest that HIV-1 infection induces fully glycosylated HERV-K (HML-2) envelope TM protein to which antibodies are induced. These anti-HERV-K (HML-2) TM antibodies are a potential marker of HIV-1 infection, and are at higher titer in elite controllers. HERV-K (HML-2) envelope TM protein may be a new therapeutic target in HIV-1 infection.
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Scrimieri F, Askew D, Corn DJ, Eid S, Bobanga ID, Bjelac JA, Tsao ML, Allen F, Othman YS, Wang SCG, Huang AY. Murine leukemia virus envelope gp70 is a shared biomarker for the high-sensitivity quantification of murine tumor burden. Oncoimmunology 2013; 2:e26889. [PMID: 24482753 PMCID: PMC3894233 DOI: 10.4161/onci.26889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The preclinical development of anticancer drugs including immunotherapeutics and targeted agents relies on the ability to detect minimal residual tumor burden as a measure of therapeutic efficacy. Real-time quantitative (qPCR) represents an exquisitely sensitive method to perform such an assessment. However, qPCR-based applications are limited by the availability of a genetic defect associated with each tumor model under investigation. Here, we describe an off-the-shelf qPCR-based approach to detect a broad array of commonly used preclinical murine tumor models. In particular, we report that the mRNA coding for the envelope glycoprotein 70 (gp70) encoded by the endogenous murine leukemia virus (MuLV) is universally expressed in 22 murine cancer cell lines of disparate histological origin but is silent in 20 out of 22 normal mouse tissues. Further, we detected the presence of as few as 100 tumor cells in whole lung extracts using qPCR specific for gp70, supporting the notion that this detection approach has a higher sensitivity as compared with traditional tissue histology methods. Although gp70 is expressed in a wide variety of tumor cell lines, it was absent in inflamed tissues, non-transformed cell lines, or pre-cancerous lesions. Having a high-sensitivity biomarker for the detection of a wide range of murine tumor cells that does not require additional genetic manipulations or the knowledge of specific genetic alterations present in a given neoplasm represents a unique experimental tool for investigating metastasis, assessing antitumor therapeutic interventions, and further determining tumor recurrence or minimal residual disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Scrimieri
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - David Askew
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - David J Corn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Saada Eid
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Iuliana D Bobanga
- Department of Surgery; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Jaclyn A Bjelac
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Matthew L Tsao
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Frederick Allen
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Youmna S Othman
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology; Stormont Vail Hospital; Cotton-O'Neil Cancer Center; Topeka, KS USA
| | - Shih-Chung G Wang
- Department of Pediatrics; Changhua Christian Hospital; Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Alex Y Huang
- Department of Pediatrics; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Cleveland, OH USA
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Pérot P, Cheynet V, Decaussin-Petrucci M, Oriol G, Mugnier N, Rodriguez-Lafrasse C, Ruffion A, Mallet F. Microarray-based identification of individual HERV loci expression: application to biomarker discovery in prostate cancer. J Vis Exp 2013:e50713. [PMID: 24300377 PMCID: PMC3969901 DOI: 10.3791/50713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is the main diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer in clinical use, but it lacks specificity and sensitivity, particularly in low dosage values1. ‘How to use PSA' remains a current issue, either for diagnosis as a gray zone corresponding to a concentration in serum of 2.5-10 ng/ml which does not allow a clear differentiation to be made between cancer and noncancer2 or for patient follow-up as analysis of post-operative PSA kinetic parameters can pose considerable challenges for their practical application3,4. Alternatively, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as key molecules in human cancer, with the potential to serve as novel markers of disease, e.g. PCA3 in prostate cancer5,6 and to reveal uncharacterized aspects of tumor biology. Moreover, data from the ENCODE project published in 2012 showed that different RNA types cover about 62% of the genome. It also appears that the amount of transcriptional regulatory motifs is at least 4.5x higher than the one corresponding to protein-coding exons. Thus, long terminal repeats (LTRs) of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute a wide range of putative/candidate transcriptional regulatory sequences, as it is their primary function in infectious retroviruses. HERVs, which are spread throughout the human genome, originate from ancestral and independent infections within the germ line, followed by copy-paste propagation processes and leading to multicopy families occupying 8% of the human genome (note that exons span 2% of our genome). Some HERV loci still express proteins that have been associated with several pathologies including cancer7-10. We have designed a high-density microarray, in Affymetrix format, aiming to optimally characterize individual HERV loci expression, in order to better understand whether they can be active, if they drive ncRNA transcription or modulate coding gene expression. This tool has been applied in the prostate cancer field (Figure 1).
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Cherkasova E, Weisman Q, Childs RW. Endogenous retroviruses as targets for antitumor immunity in renal cell cancer and other tumors. Front Oncol 2013; 3:243. [PMID: 24062992 PMCID: PMC3775266 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 09/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), remnants of ancient germ-line infections with exogenous retroviruses, are estimated to comprise up to 8% of human genome. Most HERVs have accumulated mutations and deletions that prevent their expression as an infectious virus. Nevertheless, a growing number of HERV genes and proteins have been found to be expressed in different cancers, raising the possibility that HERV-derived antigens might represent excellent targets for tumor immunotherapy. Here, we review data showing HERV-encoded antigens are capable of eliciting humoral and T-cells specific antitumor immunity. We also describe a novel HERV-E that was recently found to be selectively expressed in over 80% of clear cell kidney cancer but not in normal tissues. Remarkably, the restricted expression of HERV-E in kidney tumors was found to occur as a consequence of inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor. Importantly, antigens derived from this provirus are immunogenic, stimulating cytotoxic T-cells that kill kidney cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Taken altogether, these data suggest efforts aimed at boosting human immunity against HERV-derived antigens could be used as a strategy to treat advanced tumors including kidney cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cherkasova
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA
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Wang-Johanning F, Li M, Esteva FJ, Hess KR, Yin B, Rycaj K, Plummer JB, Garza JG, Ambs S, Johanning GL. Human endogenous retrovirus type K antibodies and mRNA as serum biomarkers of early-stage breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2013; 134:587-95. [PMID: 23873154 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
A simple and accurate test to detect early-stage breast cancer has not been developed. Previous studies indicate that the level of human endogenous retrovirus type K (group HERV-K(HML-2)) transcription may be increased in human breast tumors. We hypothesized that HERV-K(HML-2) reactivation can serve as a biomarker for early detection of breast cancer. Serum samples were collected from women without cancer (controls) and patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer. ELISA assays were used to detect serum anti-HERV-K(HML-2) antibody titers. RNA was extracted from sera and analyzed by real-time RT-PCR to quantitate the level of HERV-K(HML-2) mRNA. We measured significantly higher serum mRNA and serum antibody titers against HERV-K(HML-2) proteins in women with DCIS and stage I disease than in women without cancer. At optimized cutoffs for the antibody titers, the assay produced an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.77-1.00) for DCIS and of 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.89-1.00) for invasive breast cancer. These AUCs are comparable to those observed for mammograms. We also found that serum HERV-K(HML-2) mRNA tended to be higher in breast cancer patients with a primary tumor who later on developed the metastatic disease than in patients who did not develop cancer metastasis. Our results show that HERV-K(HML-2) antibodies and mRNA are already elevated in the blood at an early stage of breast cancer, and further increase in patients who are at risk of developing a metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang-Johanning
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Department of Immunology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
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Agoni L, Guha C, Lenz J. Detection of Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HERV-K) Transcripts in Human Prostate Cancer Cell Lines. Front Oncol 2013; 3:180. [PMID: 23847768 PMCID: PMC3705622 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are transcribed in many cancers including prostate cancer. Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) of the HML2 subtype is the most recently integrated and most intact retrovirus in the human genome, with many of the viral genomes encoding full- or partial-length viral proteins. To assess transcripts of HERV-K in prostate cancer cell lines and identify the specific HERV-K elements in the human genome that are transcribed, reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and cDNA sequencing were undertaken. Strand-specific RT-PCR, plasmid subcloning, and cDNA sequencing detected the presence of HERV-K(HML2) coding strand transcripts within four prostate cell lines (LNCaP, DU145, PC3, and VCaP). RT-PCR across splice junctions revealed splicing variants for env gene mRNA in three cell lines, two involving previously undescribed alternative splice sites. To determine the HERV-K loci from which the transcripts arose, RepeatMasker was used to compile a list of over 200 HERV-K internal genome segment fragments and over 1,000 HERV-K solo long terminal repeat (LTR) fragments in the human genome. Surprisingly, the sequences identified from internal positions of the viral genome were mostly smaller segments, while the LTRs were relatively intact. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The transcripts in the cell lines tested, arose from several HERV-K loci, with some proviruses being detected in multiple cell lines and others in only one of the four used. In some instances, transcripts from viral antisense strands was also detected. In addition, transcripts from both strands of solo LTRs were detected. These data show that transcripts from HERV-K loci commonly occur in prostate cancer cell lines and that transcription of either strand can occur. They also emphasize the importance of single nucleotide level analysis to identify the specific, individual HERV-K loci that are transcribed, and indicate that HERV-K expression in prostate cancer warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Agoni
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx, NY , USA
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Jung YD, Ahn K, Kim YJ, Bae JH, Lee JR, Kim HS. Retroelements: molecular features and implications for disease. Genes Genet Syst 2013; 88:31-43. [PMID: 23676708 DOI: 10.1266/ggs.88.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genomes comprise numerous retroelements that have a major impact on the structure and regulation of gene function. Retroelements are regulated by epigenetic controls, and they generate multiple miRNAs that are involved in the induction and progression of genomic instability. Elucidation of the biological roles of retroelements deserves continuous investigation to better understand their evolutionary features and implications for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Deun Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea
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Strissel PL, Ruebner M, Thiel F, Wachter D, Ekici AB, Wolf F, Thieme F, Ruprecht K, Beckmann MW, Strick R. Reactivation of codogenic endogenous retroviral (ERV) envelope genes in human endometrial carcinoma and prestages: Emergence of new molecular targets. Oncotarget 2013; 3:1204-19. [PMID: 23085571 PMCID: PMC3717959 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial carcinoma (EnCa) is the most common invasive gynaecologic carcinoma. Over 85% of EnCa are classified as endometrioid, expressing steroid hormone receptors and mostly involving pathological prestages. Human endogenous retroviruses (ERV) are chromosomally integrated genes, account for about 8% of the human genome and are implicated in the etiology of carcinomas. The majority of ERV envelope (env) coding genes are either not present or not consistently represented between common gene expression microarrays. The aim of this study was to analyse the absolute gene expression of all known 21 ERV env genes including 19 codogenic and two env genes with premature stop codons in EnCa, endometrium as well as in hyperplasia and polyps. For EnCa seven env genes had high expression with >200 mol/ng cDNA (e.g. envH1-3, Syncytin-1, envT), two middle >50 mol/ng cDNA (envFc2, erv-3) and 12 low <50 mol/ng cDNA (e.g. Syncytin-2, envV2). Regarding tumor parameters, Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-2 were significantly over-expressed in advanced stage pT2 compared to pT1b. In less differentiated EnCa Syncytin-1, erv-3, envT and envFc2 were significantly over-expressed. Syncytin-1, Syncytin-2 and erv-3 were specific to glandular epithelial cells of polyps, hyperplasia and EnCa using immunohistochemistry. An analysis of 10 patient-matched EnCa with endometrium revealed that the ERV-W 5' long terminal repeat regulating Syncytin-1 was hypomethylated, including the ERE and CRE overlapping MeCP2 sites. Functional analyses showed that 10 env genes were regulated by methylation in EnCa using the RL95-2 cell line. In conclusion, over-expressed env genes could serve as indicators for pathological pre-stages and EnCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela L Strissel
- University-Clinic Erlangen, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Erlangen, Germany
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Zhang J, Zhou Y, Wu Y, Ma L, Fan Y, Kang X, Shi H, Zhang J. Isolation and characterization of a novel noncoding RNA from nickel-induced lung cancer. Biol Trace Elem Res 2012; 150:258-63. [PMID: 22665269 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-012-9460-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs have drawn significant attention in carcinogenesis. In this study, we identified a novel gene named nickel-related gene1 (NRG1) associated with nickel-induced cancer. By using rapid amplification of cDNA end PCR, we obtained the full length of the cDNA. The sequence was analyzed by using related bioinformatics software and comparative genomics methods. The results showed that NRG1 was located on chromosome 2q12, within intron2 of ADAMTS6, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs. And, NRG1 had a high level of homology (76 %) to rat LINE1 sequence RL1.3 (long interspersed middle repetitive DNA). What's more, there was no continuous open reading frame present in NRG1 sequence. Taken together, these data demonstrate that NRG1 is a novel noncoding RNA, and we predicted it may be a transposon-like gene. The identification of NRG1 emphasized the potential role of noncoding RNA in nickel carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
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HERV-E-mediated modulation of PLA2G4A transcription in urothelial carcinoma. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49341. [PMID: 23145155 PMCID: PMC3492278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) and related elements account for more than 8% of the human genome and significantly contribute to the human transcriptome by long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter activity. In this context, HERVs are thought to intervene in the expression of adjacent genes by providing regulatory sequences (cis-effect) or via noncoding RNA including natural antisense transcripts. To address the potential impact of HERV activity in urothelial carcinoma, we comparatively analyzed the HERV transcription profiles in paired samples of non-malignant urothelium and urothelial carcinoma derived from 13 patients with bladder cancer by means of a retrovirus-specific microarray (RetroArray). We established a characteristic HERV signature consisting of six ubiquitously active HERV subgroups (E4-1, HERV-Rb, ERV9, HERV-K-T47D, NMWV3, HERV-KC4). The transcription pattern is largely identical in human urothelial carcinoma, non-malignant urothelial tissue, four tumor-derived cell lines and in a non-malignant urothelial cell line (UROtsa). Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) of HERV-E4-1, HERV-K(HML-6) and HERV-T(S71-TK1) revealed a bias to lower HERV activity in carcinoma samples compared to non-malignant tissue. Determination of active HERV-E4-1 loci by cloning and sequencing revealed six HERV-E4-1 proviral loci that are differentially regulated in urothelial carcinoma cells and normal tissue. Two full-length HERV-E4-1 proviruses, HERV-Ec1 and HERV-Ec6, are located in antisense orientation in introns of the genes PLA2G4A and RNGTT, respectively. PLA2G4A encodes a cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) that is dysregulated in many human tumors. PLA2G4A and HERV-Ec1 displayed reciprocal transcript levels in 7 of 11 urothelial carcinoma patients. Moreover, reciprocal shifts were observed after treatment of UROtsa cells with HERV-Ec1 and PLA2G4A-directed siRNAs or 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (aza-dC) pointing to an antagonistic regulation of PLA2G4A and HERV-Ec1 transcription in human urothelial cells. We suggest that transcription of HERV-Ec1 contributes to fine tuning of cPLA2 expression, thereby facilitating tumorigenesis.
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Pérot P, Mugnier N, Montgiraud C, Gimenez J, Jaillard M, Bonnaud B, Mallet F. Microarray-based sketches of the HERV transcriptome landscape. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40194. [PMID: 22761958 PMCID: PMC3386233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 06/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are spread throughout the genome and their long terminal repeats (LTRs) constitute a wide collection of putative regulatory sequences. Phylogenetic similarities and the profusion of integration sites, two inherent characteristics of transposable elements, make it difficult to study individual locus expression in a large-scale approach, and historically apart from some placental and testis-regulated elements, it was generally accepted that HERVs are silent due to epigenetic control. Herein, we have introduced a generic method aiming to optimally characterize individual loci associated with 25-mer probes by minimizing cross-hybridization risks. We therefore set up a microarray dedicated to a collection of 5,573 HERVs that can reasonably be assigned to a unique genomic position. We obtained a first view of the HERV transcriptome by using a composite panel of 40 normal and 39 tumor samples. The experiment showed that almost one third of the HERV repertoire is indeed transcribed. The HERV transcriptome follows tropism rules, is sensitive to the state of differentiation and, unexpectedly, seems not to correlate with the age of the HERV families. The probeset definition within the U3 and U5 regions was used to assign a function to some LTRs (i.e. promoter or polyA) and revealed that (i) autonomous active LTRs are broadly subjected to operational determinism (ii) the cellular gene density is substantially higher in the surrounding environment of active LTRs compared to silent LTRs and (iii) the configuration of neighboring cellular genes differs between active and silent LTRs, showing an approximately 8 kb zone upstream of promoter LTRs characterized by a drastic reduction in sense cellular genes. These gathered observations are discussed in terms of virus/host adaptive strategies, and together with the methods and tools developed for this purpose, this work paves the way for further HERV transcriptome projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Pérot
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Lyon, France
| | - Nathalie Mugnier
- BioMérieux, Data and Knowledge Laboratory, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - Cécile Montgiraud
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Lyon, France
| | - Juliette Gimenez
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Lyon, France
| | - Magali Jaillard
- BioMérieux, Data and Knowledge Laboratory, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - Bertrand Bonnaud
- BioMérieux, Data and Knowledge Laboratory, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | - François Mallet
- Joint Unit Hospices Civils de Lyon, bioMérieux, Cancer Biomarkers Research Group, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Lyon, France
- * E-mail:
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Goering W, Ribarska T, Schulz WA. Selective changes of retroelement expression in human prostate cancer. Carcinogenesis 2011; 32:1484-92. [PMID: 21828060 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgr181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroelements constitute a large part of the human genome. These sequences are mostly silenced in normal cells, but genome-wide DNA hypomethylation in cancers might lead to their re-expression. Whether this re-expression really occurs in human cancers is largely unkown. We therefore investigated expression and DNA methylation of several classes of retroelements in human prostate cancer tissues and cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and pyrosequencing, respectively. The most striking finding was strong and generalized increased expression of the HERV-K_22q11.23 provirus in cancers, including de novo expression of a spliced accessory Np9 transcript in some tumors. In parallel, DNA methylation in the long terminal repeat (LTR) decreased. Conversely, HERVK17 expression was significantly diminished in cancer tissues, but this decrease was unrelated to LTR methylation. Expression of both proviruses was restricted to androgen-responsive prostate cancer cell lines and LTRs sequences containing steroid hormone-responsive elements bound the androgen receptor and conferred androgen responsiveness to reporter constructs. Expression of LINE-1 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and 3'-UTR sequences in prostate cancers rather decreased, despite significant hypomethylation of the internal LINE-1 promoter. Increased expression of the young AluYa5 and AluYb8 families was restricted to individual tumors. Our findings demonstrate a surprising specificity of changes in expression and DNA methylation of retroelements in prostate cancer. In particular, LINE-1 hypomethylation does not lead to generalized overexpression, but specific human endogenous retrovirus-K proviruses display conspicuous changes in their expression hinting at significant functions during prostate carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Goering
- Department of Urology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Tropism, cytotoxicity, and inflammatory properties of two envelope genes of murine leukemia virus type-endogenous retroviruses of C57BL/6J mice. Mediators Inflamm 2011; 2011:509604. [PMID: 21772664 PMCID: PMC3134291 DOI: 10.1155/2011/509604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Envelope (env) proteins of certain endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) participate in various pathophysiological processes. In this study, we characterized pathophysiologic properties of two murine leukemia virus-type ERV (MuLV-ERV) env genes cloned from the ovary of C57BL/6J mice. The two env genes (named ENVOV1 and ENVOV2), with 1,926 bp coding region, originated from two MuLV-ERV loci on chromosomes 8 and 18, respectively. ENVOV1 and ENVOV2 were ~75 kDa and predominantly expressed on the cell membrane. They were capable of producing pseudotype murine leukemia virus virions. Tropism trait and infectivity of ENVOV2 were similar to the polytropic env; however, ENVOV1 had very low level of infectivity. Overexpression of ENVOV2, but not ENVOV1, exerted cytotoxic effects and induced expression of COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, and iNOS. These findings suggest that the ENVOV1 and ENVOV2 are capable of serving as an env protein for virion assembly, and they exert differential cytotoxicity and modulation of inflammatory mediators.
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Antony JM, Deslauriers AM, Bhat RK, Ellestad KK, Power C. Human endogenous retroviruses and multiple sclerosis: innocent bystanders or disease determinants? Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2010; 1812:162-76. [PMID: 20696240 PMCID: PMC7172332 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2010.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2009] [Revised: 07/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) constitute 5–8% of human genomic DNA and are replication incompetent despite expression of individual HERV genes from different chromosomal loci depending on the specific tissue. Several HERV genes have been detected as transcripts and proteins in the central nervous system, frequently in the context of neuroinflammation. The HERV-W family has received substantial attention in large part because of associations with diverse syndromes including multiple sclerosis (MS) and several psychiatric disorders. A HERV-W-related retroelement, multiple sclerosis retrovirus (MSRV), has been reported in MS patients to be both a biomarker as well as an effector of aberrant immune responses. HERV-H and HERV-K have also been implicated in MS and other neurological diseases but await delineation of their contributions to disease. The HERV-W envelope-encoded glycosylated protein, syncytin-1, is encoded by chromosome 7q21 and exhibits increased glial expression within MS lesions. Overexpression of syncytin-1 in glia induces endoplasmic reticulum stress leading to neuroinflammation and the induction of free radicals, which damage proximate cells. Syncytin-1's receptor, ASCT1 is a neutral amino acid transporter expressed on glia and is suppressed in white matter of MS patients. Of interest, antioxidants ameliorate syncytin-1's neuropathogenic effects raising the possibility of using these agents as therapeutics for neuroinflammatory diseases. Given the multiple insertion sites of HERV genes as complete and incomplete open reading frames, together with their differing capacity to be expressed and the complexities of individual HERVs as both disease markers and bioactive effectors, HERV biology is a compelling area for understanding neuropathogenic mechanisms and developing new therapeutic strategies.
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