Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) and Mammalian Apparent LTRs Retrotransposons (MaLRs) Are Dynamically Modulated in Different Stages of Immunity.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Pisano MP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8147956 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) are accounting for 8% of the human genome. These sequences are remnants from ancient germline infections by exogenous retroviruses. After million years of evolution and multiple integrations, HERVs have acquired many damages rendering them defective. At steady state, HERVs are mostly localized in the heterochromatin and silenced by methylation. Multiple conditions have been described to induce their reactivation, including auto-immune diseases and cancers. HERVs re-expression leads to RNA (simple and double-stranded) and DNA production (by reverse transcription), modulating the innate immune response. Some studies also argue for a role of HERVs in shaping the evolution of innate immunity, notably in the development of the interferon response. However, their exact role in the innate immune response, particularly in cancer, remains to be defined. In this review, we see how HERVs could be key-players in mounting an antitumor immune response. After a brief introduction on HERVs characteristics and biology, we review the different mechanisms by which HERVs can interact with the immune system, with a focus on the innate response. We then discuss the potential impact of HERVs expression on the innate immune response in cancer.
| S-EPMC7139688 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Retrotransposons are abundant in mammalian genomes and can modulate the gene expression of surrounding genes by disrupting endogenous binding sites for transcription factors (TFs) or providing novel TFs binding sites within retrotransposon sequences. Here, we show that a (C/T)CACACCT sequence motif in ORR1A, ORR1B, ORR1C, and ORR1D, Long Terminal Repeats (LTRs) of MaLR endogenous retrovirus (ERV), is the direct target of Tbx6, an evolutionary conserved family of T-box TFs. Moreover, by comparing gene expression between control mice (Tbx6 +/-) and Tbx6-deficient mice (Tbx6 -/-), we demonstrate that at least four genes, Twist2, Pitx2, Oscp1, and Nfxl1, are down-regulated with Tbx6 deficiency. These results suggest that ORR1A, ORR1B, ORR1C and ORR1D may contribute to the evolution of mammalian embryogenesis.
| S-EPMC5471307 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as RA and SLE, are caused by genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) may be triggers of autoimmune rheumatic disease. HERVs are fossil viruses that began to be integrated into the human genome some 30-40 million years ago and now make up 8% of the genome. Evidence suggests HERVs may cause RA and SLE, among other rheumatic diseases. The key mechanisms by which HERVS are postulated to cause disease include molecular mimicry and immune dysregulation. Identification of HERVs in RA and SLE could lead to novel treatments for these chronic conditions. This review summarises the evidence for HERVs as contributors to autoimmune rheumatic disease and the clinical implications and mechanisms of pathogenesis are discussed.
| S-EPMC3636489 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences make up at least 8% of the human genome. Transcripts originating from these loci as well as proteins encoded by them have been detected in various tissues. HERVs are believed to be implicated in autoimmune diseases, however the extent to which, has remained unclear. Differential expression studies have so far been limited to certain HERV subfamilies with conserved sequences. No studies have been published describing the genome-wide expression pattern of HERVs and repetitive elements in the context of psoriasis. In the present study, we analysed total RNA sequencing data from skin samples of 12 psoriasis patients and 12 healthy controls, which enabled us to describe the entire transcriptional landscape of repetitive elements. We report high levels of repetitive element expression in the skin of psoriasis patients as well as healthy controls. The majority of differentially expressed elements were downregulated in lesional and non-lesional skin, suggesting active HERV suppression in the pro-inflammatory environment of psoriatic skin. However, we also report upregulation of a small subset of HERVs previously described in the context of autoimmune diseases, such as members of the HERV-K and W families, with the potential to affect the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis.
| S-EPMC5847543 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Genomic instability and genetic mutations can lead to exhibition of several cancer hallmarks in affected cells such as sustained proliferative signaling, evasion of growth suppression, activated invasion, deregulation of cellular energetics, and avoidance of immune destruction. Similar biological changes have been observed to be a result of pathogenic viruses and, in some cases, have been linked to virus-induced cancers. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), once external pathogens, now occupy more than 8% of the human genome, representing the merge of genomic and external factors. In this review, we outline all reported effects of HERVs on cancer development and discuss the HERV targets most suitable for cancer treatments as well as ongoing clinical trials for HERV-targeting drugs. We reviewed all currently available reports of the effects of HERVs on human cancers including solid tumors, lymphomas, and leukemias. Our review highlights the central roles of HERV genes, such as gag, env, pol, np9, and rec in immune regulation, checkpoint blockade, cell differentiation, cell fusion, proliferation, metastasis, and cell transformation. In addition, we summarize the involvement of HERV long terminal repeat (LTR) regions in transcriptional regulation, creation of fusion proteins, expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and promotion of genome instability through recombination.
| S-EPMC10046157 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The deep history and early diversification of retroviruses remains elusive, largely because few retroviruses have been characterized in vertebrates other than mammals and birds. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) documented past retroviral infections and thus provide 'molecular fossils' for studying the deep history of retroviruses. Here we perform a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of ERVs within the genomes of 92 non-avian/mammalian vertebrates, including 72 fishes, 4 amphibians, and 16 reptiles. We find that ERVs are present in all the genomes of jawed vertebrates, revealing the ubiquitous presence of ERVs in jawed vertebrates. We identify a total of >8,000 ERVs and reconstruct ~450 complete or partial ERV genomes, which dramatically expands the phylogenetic diversity of retroviruses and suggests that the diversity of exogenous retroviruses might be much underestimated in non-avian/mammalian vertebrates. Phylogenetic analyses show that retroviruses cluster into five major groups with different host distributions, providing important insights into the classification and diversification of retroviruses. Moreover, we find retroviruses mainly underwent frequent host switches in non-avian/mammalian vertebrates, with exception of spumavirus-related viruses that codiverged with their ray-finned fish hosts. Interestingly, ray-finned fishes and turtles appear to serve as unappreciated hubs for the transmission of retroviruses. Finally, we find retroviruses underwent many independent water-land transmissions, indicating the water-land interface is not a strict barrier for retrovirus transmission. Our analyses provide unprecedented insights into and valuable resources for studying the diversification, key evolutionary transitions, and macroevolution of retroviruses.
| S-EPMC6001957 | biostudies-literature
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 infection is known to trigger an important inflammatory response, which has a major role in COVID-19 pathogenesis. In infectious and inflammatory contexts, the modulation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) has been broadly reported, being able to further sustain innate immune responses due to the expression of immunogenic viral transcripts, including double-stranded DNA (dsRNA), and eventually, immunogenic proteins. To gain insights on this poorly characterized interplay, we performed a high-throughput expression analysis of ~3,300 specific HERV loci in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy controls and 16 individuals being either convalescent after the infection (6) or retesting positive after convalescence (10) (Gene Expression Onmibus [GEO] data set GSE166253). Results showed that the exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection modulates HERV expression according to the disease stage and reflecting COVID-19 immune signatures. The differential expression analysis between healthy control (HC) and COVID-19 patients allowed us to identify a total of 282 differentially expressed HERV loci (deHERV) in the individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, independently from the clinical form. In addition, 278 and 60 deHERV loci that were specifically modulated in individuals convalescent after COVID19 infection (C) and patients that retested positive to SARS-CoV-2 after convalescence (RTP) as individually compared to HC, respectively, as well as 164 deHERV loci between C and RTP patients were identified. The identified HERV loci belonged to 36 different HERV groups, including members of all three classes. The present study provides an exhaustive picture of the HERV transcriptome in PBMCs and its dynamic variation in the presence of COVID-19, revealing specific modulation patterns according to the infection stage that can be relevant to the disease clinical manifestation and outcome. IMPORTANCE We report here the first high-throughput analysis of HERV loci expression along SARS-CoV-2 infection, as performed with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Such cells are not directly infected by the virus but have a crucial role in the plethora of inflammatory and immune events that constitute a major hallmark of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Results provide a novel and exhaustive picture of HERV expression in PBMCs, revealing specific modulation patterns according to the disease condition and the concomitant immune activation. To our knowledge, this is the first set of deHERVs whose expression is dynamically modulated across COVID-19 stages, confirming a tight interplay between HERV and cellular immunity and revealing specific transcriptional signatures that can have an impact on the disease clinical manifestation and outcome.
| S-EPMC9927238 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The origin and deep evolution of retroviruses remain largely unclear. It has been proposed that retroviruses might have originated from a Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposon, but all known Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons are only distantly related to retroviruses. Retroviruses and some plant Athila/Tat elements (within Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons) independently evolved a dual RNase H domain and an env/env-like gene. Here, we reported the discovery of a novel lineage of retrotransposons, designated Odin retrotransposons, in the genomes of eight sea anemones (order Actinaria) within the Cnidaria phylum. Odin retrotransposons exhibited unique genome features, encoding a dual RNase H domain (like retroviruses) but no env gene (like most Ty3/Gypsy retrotransposons). Phylogenetic analyses based on reverse transcriptase showed that Odin retrotransposons formed a sister group to lokiretroviruses, and lokiretroviruses and Odin retrotransposons together were sister to canonical retroviruses. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses based on RNase H and integrase also supported the hypothesis that Odin retrotransposons were sisters to lokiretroviruses. Lokiretroviruses and canonical retroviruses did not form a monophyletic group, indicating that lokiretroviruses and canonical retroviruses might represent two distinct virus families. Taken together, the discovery of Odin retrotransposons narrowed down the evolutionary gaps between retrotransposons and canonical retroviruses and lokiretroviruses. IMPORTANCE The origin of retroviruses remains largely unclear. In this study, we discovered a novel retrotransposon lineage, Odin retrotransposons, within the genomes of sea anemones (order Actinaria). In contrast to retroviruses and most retrotransposons, Odin retrotransposons encode a dual RNase H domain but no env gene. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Odin retrotransposons were sisters to lokiretroviruses, and lokiretroviruses and Odin retrotransposons were sisters to retroviruses, establishing an evolutionary framework to decipher the origin of retroviruses (canonical retroviruses and lokiretroviruses). Our results provided insights into the diversity and deep evolution of LTR retrotransposons closely related to retroviruses.
| S-EPMC9040795 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) comprise 8% of the human genome and are common in all vertebrate genomes. The only retrovirus known to be currently transitioning from exogenous to endogenous form is the koala retrovirus (KoRV), making koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) ideal for examining the early stages of retroviral endogenization. To distinguish endogenous from exogenous KoRV proviruses, we isolated koala genomic regions flanking KoRV integration sites. In three wild southern Australian koalas, there were fewer KoRV loci than in three captive Queensland koalas, consistent with reports that southern Australian koalas carry fewer KoRVs. Of 39 distinct KoRV proviral loci examined in a sire-dam-progeny triad, all proved to be vertically transmitted and endogenous; none was exogenous. Of the 39 endogenous KoRVs (enKoRVs), only one was present in the genomes of both the sire and the dam, suggesting that, at this early stage in the retroviral invasion of a host germ line, very large numbers of ERVs have proliferated at very low frequencies in the koala population. Sequence divergence between the 5'- and 3'-long terminal repeats (LTRs) of a provirus can be used as a molecular clock. Within each of ten enKoRVs, the 5'-LTR sequence was identical to the 3'-LTR sequence, suggesting a maximum age for enKoRV invasion of the koala germ line of approximately 22,200-49,900 years ago, although a much younger age is possible. Across the ten proviruses, seven LTR haplotypes were detected, indicating that at least seven different retroviral sequences had entered the koala germ line.
| S-EPMC4271524 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We demonstrated previously that the cytosine deaminase APOBEC3G inhibits retrotransposition of two active murine endogenous retroviruses, namely intracisternal A-particles (IAP) and MusD, in an ex vivo assay where retrotransposition was monitored by selection of neo-marked elements. Sequencing of the transposed copies further disclosed extensive editing, resulting in a high load of G-to-A mutations. Here, we asked whether this G-to-A editing was associated with an impact of APOBEC3G on viral cDNA yields. To this end, we used a specially designed quantitative PCR method to selectively measure the copy number of transposed retroelements, in the absence of G418 selection. We show that human APOBEC3G severely reduces the number of MusD and IAP transposed cDNA copies, with no effect on the level of the intermediate RNA transcripts. The magnitude of the decrease closely parallels that observed when transposed copies are assayed by selection of G418-resistant cells. Moreover, sequencing of transposed elements recovered by PCR without prior selection of the cells reveals high-level editing. Using this direct method with a series of cytosine deaminases, we further demonstrate a similar dual effect of African green monkey APOBE3G, human APOBEC3F and murine APOBEC3 on MusD retrotransposition, with a distinct extent and site specificity for each editing activity. Altogether the data demonstrate that cytosine deaminases have a protective effect against endogenous retroviruses both by reducing viral cDNA levels and by introducing mutations in the transposed copies, thus inactivating them for subsequent rounds of retrotransposition. This dual, two-step effect likely participates in the efficient defense of the cell genome against invading endogenous retroelements.
| S-EPMC1401513 | biostudies-literature