Human Endogenous Retroviruses Are Preferentially Expressed in Mononuclear Cells From Cord Blood Than From Maternal Blood and in the Fetal Part of Placenta

Bergallo, Massimiliano; Marozio, Luca; Botta, Giovanni; Tancredi, Annalisa; Daprà, Valentina; Galliano, Ilaria; Montanari, Paola; Coscia, Alessandra; Benedetto, Chiara; Tovo, Pier Angelo

doi:10.3389/fped.2020.00244

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Of these, Group A included 36 children with mild/moderate symptoms, Group B 17 patients with severe clinical manifestations, and Group C 11 patients with severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Group D included: 60 uninfected control children (37 males, median age 4.91 years, IQR 2.2; 9.1 years) for the detection of type I, II, and III IFN signatures, TRIM28 and SETDB1; 49 uninfected children for the detection of env genes of SYN1, SYN2, and MSRV (34 males, median age 4.5 years, IQR 1.7; 13.0 years); and 108 children (57 males, median age 5.2 years, IQR 3.5; 12.6 years) for the detection of pol genes of HERV-H, HERV-K, and HERV-W who were investigated as a control group in our previous studies [ 45 , 51 , 56 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The RNAs were stored at −80 • until use. GAPDH was chosen as a reference gene in all determinations, being one of the most stable amongst reference genes and already used in our previous studies [45,51,56]. The relative quantification of mRNA concentrations of IFN-I, -II and -III signatures, TRIM28, SETDB1, HERV-H-pol, HERV-K-pol, HERV-W-pol, SYN1-env, SYN2-env, and MSRV-env was achieved using the ABI PRISM 7500 real time system (Thermofisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA).…”

Section: Total Rna Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

COVID-19 in Children: Expressions of Type I/II/III Interferons, TRIM28, SETDB1, and Endogenous Retroviruses in Mild and Severe Cases

Tovo

Garazzino

Daprà

et al. 2021

IJMS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Children with the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have milder symptoms and a better prognosis than adult patients. Several investigations assessed type I, II, and III interferon (IFN) signatures in SARS-CoV-2 infected adults, however no data are available for pediatric patients. RIM28 and SETDB1 regulate the transcription of multiple genes involved in the immune response as well as of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). Exogenous viral infections can trigger the activation of HERVs, which in turn can induce inflammatory and immune reactions. Despite the potential cross-talks between SARS-CoV-2 infection and TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs, information on their expressions in COVID-19 patients is lacking. We assessed, through a PCR real time Taqman amplification assay, the transcription levels of six IFN-I stimulated genes, IFN-II and three of its sensitive genes, three IFN-lIIs, as well as of TRIM28, SETDB1, pol genes of HERV-H, -K, and -W families, and of env genes of Syncytin (SYN)1, SYN2, and multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MRSV) in peripheral blood from COVID-19 children nd in control uninfected subjects. Higher expression levels of IFN-I and IFN-II inducible genes were observed in 36 COVID-19-infected children with mild or moderate disease as compared to uninfected controls, whereas their concentrations decreased in 17 children with severe disease and in 11 with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Similar findings were found for the expression of TRIM-28, SETDB1, and every HERV gene. Positive correlations emerged between the transcriptional levels of type I and II IFNs, TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs in COVID-19 patients. IFN-III expressions were comparable in each group of subjects. This preserved induction of IFN-λs could contribute to the better control of the infection in children as compared to adults, in whom IFN-III deficiency has been reported. The upregulation of IFN-I, IFN-II, TRIM28, SETDB1, and HERVs in children with mild symptoms, their declines in severe cases or with MIS-C, and the positive correlations of their transcription in SARS-CoV-2-infected children suggest that they may play important roles in conditioning the evolution of the infection.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Total Rna Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 in Children: Expressions of Type I/II/III Interferons, TRIM28, SETDB1, and Endogenous Retroviruses in Mild and Severe Cases

Tovo

Garazzino

Daprà

et al. 2021

IJMS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is supported by the upregulation of expression of syncytins, and transcription of HERV sequences in general, in placental tissues [57]. Bergallo et al [58] assessed the transcription levels of HERV-H, HERV-K, and HERV-W pol genes in maternal and fetal tissues and in PBMCs from maternal blood and cord blood. They documented significantly higher transcriptional levels in fetal tissue and cord blood compared to maternal tissue and blood.…”

Section: Physiological Importance Of Syncytinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulation of the expression of human endogenous retroviruses: elements in fetal development and a possible role in the development of cancer and neurological diseases

Kristensen

Christensen

2021

APMIS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Kristensen MK, Christensen T. Regulation of the expression of human endogenous retroviruses: elements in fetal development and a possible role in the development of cancer and neurological diseases. APMIS. 2021; 129: 241-253.Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral germline infections. Most HERV sequences are silenced in somatic cells, but interest is emerging on the involvement of HERV derived transcripts and proteins in human physiology and disease. A HERV-W encoded protein, syncytin-1, has been co-opted into fetal physiology, where it plays a role in trophoblast formation. Altered HERV transcription and expression of HERV derived proteins are associated with various cancer types and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The implication of HERVs as potential mediators of both health and disease suggests important roles of regulatory mechanisms and alterations of these in physiological and pathological processes. The regulation of HERV sequences is mediated by a wide variety of mechanisms, and the focus of this review is on selected aspects of these, including epigenetic mechanisms such as CpG methylation and histone modifications of the HP1-H3K9me axis, viral transactivation events, and regulatory perspectives of transient stimuli in the microenvironment. Increasing knowledge of the regulation of HERV sequences will not only contribute to the understanding of complex pathogeneses, but also may pinpoint potential targets for better diagnosis and treatment in complex diseases as MS.

show abstract

“…Grow et al [4] demonstrated that HERV-K is transcribed during human embryogenesis from the 8-cell to the blastocyst stage, and transcription ceases during blastocyst expansion. HERVs are highly expressed in germ cells and in pluripotent stem cells Massimiliano Bergallo and Stefano Canosa have contributed equally to this work [4], and they are overexpressed in neonatal white blood cells (WBCs) and in the placenta [5,6]. Among HERVs, syncytin 1 (Syn1) is an envelope protein of the HERV-W group: it is a cell-to-cell fusion glycoprotein that plays a crucial role in the formation of the syncytiotrophoblast and in feto-maternal immunetolerance [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impaired transcription of human endogenous retroviruses in the sperm with exception of syncytin 1: short communication

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), remnants of ancestral infections, represent 8% of the human genome. HERVs are co-opted for important physiological functions during embryogenesis; however, little is known about their expression in human gametes. We evaluated the transcriptional levels of several retroviral sequences in human spermatozoa. Methods and resultsWe assessed, through a Real-Time PCR assay, the transcription levels of the pol genes of HERV-H, -K and -W families and of env genes of syncytin (Syn)1 and Syn2 in the spermatozoa from 8 normospermic subjects. The entity and distribution of their expressions were compared to values found in white blood cells (WBCs) from 16 healthy volunteers. The level of HERV transcripts was significantly lower in spermatozoa than in WBCs for HERV-H-pol, HERV-K-pol, HERV-W-pol, and Syn2.In contrast, the level of expression of Syn1 in the sperm was similar to that found in WBCs and it was significantly higher than the mRNA concentrations of other HERV genes in spermatozoa. Conclusions Our findings show, for the first time, the presence of several retroviral mRNAs in the sperm, although in low amounts. The higher concentration of Syn1 suggests that it could play a key role in the fusion process between gametes during fertilization and, perhaps, be involved in embryo development. Further studies could clarify whether aberrant HERV expressions, in particular of Syn1, negatively affect fertilization and embryo growth and whether sperm manipulation procedures, such as cryopreservation, may potentially influence HERV transcription in the human male gamete.

show abstract

Human Endogenous Retroviruses Are Preferentially Expressed in Mononuclear Cells From Cord Blood Than From Maternal Blood and in the Fetal Part of Placenta

Cited by 15 publications

References 33 publications

COVID-19 in Children: Expressions of Type I/II/III Interferons, TRIM28, SETDB1, and Endogenous Retroviruses in Mild and Severe Cases

COVID-19 in Children: Expressions of Type I/II/III Interferons, TRIM28, SETDB1, and Endogenous Retroviruses in Mild and Severe Cases

Regulation of the expression of human endogenous retroviruses: elements in fetal development and a possible role in the development of cancer and neurological diseases

Impaired transcription of human endogenous retroviruses in the sperm with exception of syncytin 1: short communication

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About