The DOI matches its Crossref record; 23 of the 23 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Identification of a Functional Envelope Protein from the HERV-K Family of Human Endogenous Retroviruses
Open accessAbstract
Genome-wide screening of sequence databases for human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) has led to the identification of 18 coding env genes, among which two—the syncytin genes—encode fusogenic ENV proteins possibly involved in placenta physiology. Here we show that a third ENV, originating from the most “recent” HERV-K(HML2) family, is functional. Immunofluorescence analysis of env -transduced cells demonstrates expression of the protein at the cell surface, and we show that the protein confers infectivity to simian immunodeficiency virus pseudotypes. Western blot analysis of the pseudotyped virions further discloses the expected specific cleavage of the ENV precursor protein. This functional ENV could play a role in the amplification—via infection of the germ line—of the HERV-K genomic copies, all the more as coding HERV-K gag and pol genes can similarly be found in the human genome, which could therefore generate infectious virions of a fully endogenous origin.
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“Retrovirus-like Particles (RLPs) are those that resemble retroviral vesicles on EM but are non-infectious because they do not contain the full complement of genes required for cellular entry or viral propagation. These vesicles are typically defined by their size (90-100 nm) and the presence of a subset of retroviral proteins [69-72].”
From Biogenesis of extracellular vesicles (EV): exosomes, microvesicles, retrovirus-like vesicles, and apoptotic bodies (2013) · cites this paper as [72]
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Syncytin is a captive retroviral envelope protein involved in human placental morphogenesis
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Self-citationRetroelements and the human genome: New perspectives on an old relation
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Long-term reinfection of the human genome by endogenous retroviruses
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“Along this line, it is noteworthy that HERV-K-related particles have been detected in culture supernatants from several cell lines derived from tumors, including teratocarcinomas and melanomas (6, 10, 13, 19).”
BackgroundMany human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) proviruses are unique to humans
Barbulescu, M., Turner, G., Seaman, M. I., Deinard, A. S., Kidd, K. K., & Lenz, J. (1999) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/s0960-9822(99)80390-x · Cited by 244 · cited 1×
“Actually, the entry dates in the human genome of all six copies with a coding env have been estimated to be less than 5 million years (3, 11), with two of them being even polymorphic in the human population (allele frequencies of 0.”
Backgroundde Parseval, N., Lazar, V., Casella, J., Benit, L., & Heidmann, T. (2003) · Journal of Virology · doi:10.1128/jvi.77.19.10414-10422.2003 · Cited by 237
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Metadata
- Authors
- Dewannieux, M., Blaise, S., & Heidmann, T.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Unité des Rétrovirus Endogènes et Eléments Rétroïdes des Eucaryotes Supérieurs, UMR 8122 CNRS, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805 Villejuif, France
- ORCID
- Dewannieux, Marie
- Venue
- Journal of Virology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Published
- 2005-12-15
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 24
- Pages
- 15573-15577
- ISSN
- 0022-538X (ISSN-L)
- 1098-5514
- PMC
- PMC1315997
- OpenAlex
- W2072583113
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 9.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Virology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- human endogenous retroviruses, envelope protein, syncytin, fusogenic proteins, syncytin-2, retroviral evolution, placenta
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Viral Proteins, Genes, env, Genome, Human, Endogenous Retroviruses
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