Envelope Gene of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus HERV-W Encodes a Functional Retrovirus Envelope

ABSTRACT A member of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) family termed HERV-W encodes a highly fusogenic membrane glycoprotein that appears to be expressed specifically in the placenta. It is unclear whether the glycoproteins of the HERVs can serve as functional retrovirus envelope proteins to confer infectivity on retrovirus particles. We found that the HERV-W envelope glycoprotein can form pseudotypes with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 virions and confers tropism for CD4-negative cells. Thus, the HERV-W env gene represents the first HERV env gene demonstrated to encode the functional properties of a retrovirus envelope glycoprotein.

An Envelope Glycoprotein of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus HERV-W Is Expressed in the Human Placenta and Fuses Cells Expressing the Type D Mammalian Retrovirus Receptor

ABSTRACT A new human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) family, termed HERV-W, was recently described (J.-L. Blond, F. Besème, L. Duret, O. Bouton, F. Bedin, H. Perron, B. Mandrand, and F. Mallet, J. Virol. 73:1175–1185, 1999). HERV-W mRNAs were found to be specifically expressed in placenta cells, and an env cDNA containing a complete open reading frame was recovered. In cell-cell fusion assays, we demonstrate here that the product of the HERV-W env gene is a highly fusogenic membrane glycoprotein. Transfection of an HERV-W Env expression vector in a panel of cell lines derived from different species resulted in formation of syncytia in primate and pig cells upon interaction with the type D mammalian retrovirus receptor. Moreover, envelope glycoproteins encoded by HERV-W were specifically detected in placenta cells, suggesting that they may play a physiological role during pregnancy and placenta formation.

Molecular Characterization and Placental Expression of HERV-W, a New Human Endogenous Retrovirus Family

ABSTRACT The multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MSRV) isolated from plasma of MS patients was found to be phylogenetically and experimentally related to human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). To characterize the MSRV-related HERV family and to test the hypothesis of a replication-competent HERV, we have investigated the expression of MSRV-related sequences in healthy tissues. The expression of MSRV-related transcripts restricted to the placenta led to the isolation of overlapping cDNA clones from a cDNA library. These cDNAs spanned a 7.6-kb region containing gag, pol, and env genes; RU5 and U3R flanking sequences; a polypurine tract; and a primer binding site (PBS). As this PBS showed similarity to avian retrovirus PBSs used by tRNATrp, this new HERV family was named HERV-W. Several genomic elements were identified, one of them containing a complete HERV-W unit, spanning all cDNA clones. Elements of this multicopy family were not replication competent, asgag and pol open reading frames (ORFs) were interrupted by frameshifts and stop codons. A complete ORF putatively coding for an envelope protein was found both on the HERV-W DNA prototype and within an RU5-env-U3R polyadenylated cDNA clone. Placental expression of 8-, 3.1-, and 1.3-kb transcripts was observed, and a putative splicing strategy was described. The apparently tissue-restricted HERV-W long terminal repeat expression is discussed with respect to physiological and pathological contexts.