scholarly journals The pluripotent stem cell-specific transcript ESRG is dispensable for human pluripotency

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. e1009587
Author(s):  
Kazutoshi Takahashi ◽  
Michiko Nakamura ◽  
Chikako Okubo ◽  
Zane Kliesmete ◽  
Mari Ohnuki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Gene Expression ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Complete Excision ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Quantitative Expression ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Chimeric Transcripts ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) express human endogenous retrovirus type-H (HERV-H), which exists as more than a thousand copies on the human genome and frequently produces chimeric transcripts as long-non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) fused with downstream neighbor genes. Previous studies showed that HERV-H expression is required for the maintenance of PSC identity, and aberrant HERV-H expression attenuates neural differentiation potentials, however, little is known about the actual of function of HERV-H. In this study, we focused on ESRG, which is known as a PSC-related HERV-H-driven lncRNA. The global transcriptome data of various tissues and cell lines and quantitative expression analysis of PSCs showed that ESRG expression is much higher than other HERV-Hs and tightly silenced after differentiation. However, the loss of function by the complete excision of the entire ESRG gene body using a CRISPR/Cas9 platform revealed that ESRG is dispensable for the maintenance of the primed and naïve pluripotent states. The loss of ESRG hardly affected the global gene expression of PSCs or the differentiation potential toward trilineage. Differentiated cells derived from ESRG-deficient PSCs retained the potential to be reprogrammed into induced PSCs (iPSCs) by the forced expression of OCT3/4, SOX2, and KLF4. In conclusion, ESRG is dispensable for the maintenance and recapturing of human pluripotency.

scholarly journals The pluripotent stem cell-specific transcript ESRG is dispensable for human pluripotency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazutoshi Takahashi ◽  
Michiko Nakamura ◽  
Megumi Narita ◽  
Akira Watanabe ◽  
Mai Ueda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Gene Expression ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Complete Excision ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Quantitative Expression ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Chimeric Transcripts ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

AbstractHuman pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) express human endogenous retrovirus type-H (HERV-H), which exists as more than a thousand copies on the human genome and frequently produces chimeric transcripts as long-non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) fused with downstream neighbor genes. Previous studies showed that HERV-H expression is required for the maintenance of PSC identity, and aberrant HERV-H expression attenuates neural differentiation potentials, however, little is known about the actual of function of HERV-H. In this study, we focused on ESRG, which is known as a PSC-related HERV-H-driven lncRNA. The global transcriptome data of various tissues and cell lines and quantitative expression analysis of PSCs showed that ESRG expression is much higher than other HERV-Hs and tightly silenced after differentiation. However, the loss of function by the complete excision of the entire ESRG gene body using a CRISPR/Cas9 platform revealed that ESRG is dispensable for the maintenance of the primed and naïve pluripotent states. The loss of ESRG hardly affected the global gene expression of PSCs or the differentiation potential toward trilineage. Differentiated cells derived from ESRG-deficient PSCs retained the potential to be reprogrammed into induced PSCs (iPSCs) by the forced expression of OCT3/4, SOX2, and KLF4. In conclusion, ESRG is dispensable for the maintenance and recapturing of human pluripotency.

scholarly journals BMAL1 coordinates energy metabolism and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. e201900534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Ameneiro ◽  
Tiago Moreira ◽  
Alejandro Fuentes-Iglesias ◽  
Alba Coego ◽  
Vera Garcia-Outeiral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Energy Metabolism ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Adult Stem Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Permanent Loss

BMAL1 is essential for the regulation of circadian rhythms in differentiated cells and adult stem cells, but the molecular underpinnings of its function in pluripotent cells, which hold a great potential in regenerative medicine, remain to be addressed. Here, using transient and permanent loss-of-function approaches in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we reveal that although BMAL1 is dispensable for the maintenance of the pluripotent state, its depletion leads to deregulation of transcriptional programs linked to cell differentiation commitment. We further confirm that depletion of Bmal1 alters the differentiation potential of ESCs in vitro. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BMAL1 participates in the regulation of energy metabolism maintaining a low mitochondrial function which is associated with pluripotency. Loss-of-function of Bmal1 leads to the deregulation of metabolic gene expression associated with a shift from glycolytic to oxidative metabolism. Our results highlight the important role that BMAL1 plays at the exit of pluripotency in vitro and provide evidence implicating a non-canonical circadian function of BMAL1 in the metabolic control for cell fate determination.

Evidence for a functional subclass of the RTVL-H family of human endogenous retrovirus-like sequences.

1993 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 2981-2989 ◽  
Author(s):  
D A Wilkinson ◽  
N L Goodchild ◽  
T M Saxton ◽  
S Wood ◽  
D L Mager
Keyword(s):  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus

Association of HERV-K and LINE-1 hypomethylation with reduced disease-free survival in melanoma patients

Epigenomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 1689-1706
Author(s):  
Maurizio Cardelli ◽  
Remco van Doorn ◽  
Lares Larcher ◽  
Michela Di Donato ◽  
Francesco Piacenza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Independent Predictor ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Melanocytic Lesions ◽  
Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements ◽  
Melanoma Patients ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Disease Free

Aim: To evaluate CpG methylation of long interspersed nuclear elements 1 (LINE-1) and human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) retroelements as potential prognostic biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma. Materials & methods: Methylation of HERV-K and LINE-1 retroelements was assessed in resected melanoma tissues from 82 patients ranging in age from 14 to 88 years. In addition, nevi from eight patients were included for comparison with nonmalignant melanocytic lesions. Results: Methylation levels were lower in melanomas than in nevi. HERV-K and LINE-1 methylation were decreased in melanoma patients with clinical parameters associated with adverse prognosis, while they were independent of age and gender. Hypomethylation of HERV-K (but not LINE-1) was an independent predictor of reduced disease-free survival. Conclusion: HERV-K hypomethylation can be a potential independent biomarker of melanoma recurrence.

scholarly journals HERV-K Gag RNA and Protein Levels Are Elevated in Malignant Regions of the Prostate in Males with Prostate Cancer

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 449
Author(s):  
Simin D. Rezaei ◽  
Joshua A. Hayward ◽  
Sam Norden ◽  
John Pedersen ◽  
John Mills ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Normal Prostate ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Gag Protein ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Prostate Epithelial Cells ◽  
Prostate Cancers

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.

scholarly journals miR-16-5p Promotes Erythroid Maturation of Erythroleukemia Cells by Regulating Ribosome Biogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Christos I. Papagiannopoulos ◽  
Nikoleta F. Theodoroula ◽  
Ioannis S. Vizirianakis
Keyword(s):  
Ribosomal Proteins ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Erythroid Differentiation ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Erythroleukemia Cells ◽  
Murine Erythroleukemia

miRNAs constitute a class of non-coding RNA that act as powerful epigenetic regulators in animal and plant cells. In order to identify putative tumor-suppressor miRNAs we profiled the expression of various miRNAs during differentiation of erythroleukemia cells. RNA was purified before and after differentiation induction and subjected to quantitative RT-PCR. The majority of the miRNAs tested were found upregulated in differentiated cells with miR-16-5p showing the most significant increase. Functional studies using gain- and loss-of-function constructs proposed that miR-16-5p has a role in promoting the erythroid differentiation program of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. In order to identify the underlying mechanism of action, we utilized bioinformatic in-silico platforms that incorporate predictions for the genes targeted by miR-16-5p. Interestingly, ribosome constituents, as well as ribosome biogenesis factors, were overrepresented among the miR-16-5p predicted gene targets. Accordingly, biochemical experiments showed that, indeed, miR-16-5p could modulate the levels of independent ribosomal proteins, and the overall ribosomal levels in cultured cells. In conclusion, miR-16-5p is identified as a differentiation-promoting agent in erythroleukemia cells, demonstrating antiproliferative activity, likely as a result of its ability to target the ribosomal machinery and restore any imbalanced activity imposed by the malignancy and the blockade of differentiation.

scholarly journals Human Endogenous Retrovirus Reactivation: Implications for Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1999
Author(s):  
Annacarmen Petrizzo ◽  
Concetta Ragone ◽  
Beatrice Cavalluzzo ◽  
Angela Mauriello ◽  
Carmen Manolio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Immunotherapy ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Endogenous Retroviruses ◽  
Human Endogenous Retrovirus ◽  
Danger Signal ◽  
Human Endogenous Retroviruses ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Specific Antigens ◽  
Viral Mimicry

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) derive from ancestral exogenous retroviruses whose genetic material has been integrated in our germline DNA. Several lines of evidence indicate that cancer immunotherapy may benefit from HERV reactivation, which can be induced either by drugs or by cellular changes occurring in tumor cells. Indeed, several studies indicate that HERV proviral DNA can be transcribed either to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is sensed as a “danger signal” by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), leading to a viral mimicry state, or to mRNA that is translated into proteins that may contribute to the landscape of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs). Alternatively, HERV reactivation is associated with the expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). In this review, we will highlight recent findings on HERV reactivation in cancer and its implications for cancer immunotherapy.

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