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Title: CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues

Abstract

Syncytin-1 is a captive envelope glycoprotein encoded by one of human endogenous retroviruses W. It is expressed exclusively in the placental trophoblast where it participates in cell-to-cell fusion during differentiation of syncytiotrophobast. In other tissues, however, syncytin-1 expression must be kept in check because inadvertent cell fusion might be dangerous for tissue organization and integrity. We describe here an inverse correlation between CpG methylation of syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat and its expression. Hypomethylation of the syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat in the placenta and in the choriocarcinoma-derived cell line BeWo was detected. However, other analyzed primary cells and cell lines non-expressing syncytin-1 contain proviruses heavily methylated in this sequence. CpG methylation of syncytin-1 is resistant to the effect of the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. The inhibitory role of CpG methylation is further confirmed by transient transfection of in-vitro-methylated syncytin-1 promoter-driven reporter construct. Altogether, we conclude that CpG methylation plays a principal role in the transcriptional suppression of syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues, and, in contrast, demethylation of the syncytin-1 promoter in trophoblast is a prerequisite for its expression and differentiation of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Cellular and Viral Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo namisti 2, 16637 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)
  2. Department of Molecular Virology, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 16637 Prague (Czech Republic)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20775356
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Experimental Cell Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 312; Journal Issue: 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.12.010; PII: S0014-4827(05)00604-X; Copyright (c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0014-4827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; DNA; GLYCOPROTEINS; IN VITRO; INHIBITION; METHYLATION; PLACENTA; PROMOTERS

Citation Formats

Matouskova, Magda, Blazkova, Jana, Pajer, Petr, Pavlicek, Adam, and Hejnar, Jiri. CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.12.010.
Matouskova, Magda, Blazkova, Jana, Pajer, Petr, Pavlicek, Adam, & Hejnar, Jiri. CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.12.010
Matouskova, Magda, Blazkova, Jana, Pajer, Petr, Pavlicek, Adam, and Hejnar, Jiri. 2006. "CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.12.010.
@article{osti_20775356,
title = {CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues},
author = {Matouskova, Magda and Blazkova, Jana and Pajer, Petr and Pavlicek, Adam and Hejnar, Jiri},
abstractNote = {Syncytin-1 is a captive envelope glycoprotein encoded by one of human endogenous retroviruses W. It is expressed exclusively in the placental trophoblast where it participates in cell-to-cell fusion during differentiation of syncytiotrophobast. In other tissues, however, syncytin-1 expression must be kept in check because inadvertent cell fusion might be dangerous for tissue organization and integrity. We describe here an inverse correlation between CpG methylation of syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat and its expression. Hypomethylation of the syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat in the placenta and in the choriocarcinoma-derived cell line BeWo was detected. However, other analyzed primary cells and cell lines non-expressing syncytin-1 contain proviruses heavily methylated in this sequence. CpG methylation of syncytin-1 is resistant to the effect of the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. The inhibitory role of CpG methylation is further confirmed by transient transfection of in-vitro-methylated syncytin-1 promoter-driven reporter construct. Altogether, we conclude that CpG methylation plays a principal role in the transcriptional suppression of syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues, and, in contrast, demethylation of the syncytin-1 promoter in trophoblast is a prerequisite for its expression and differentiation of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast.},
doi = {10.1016/j.yexcr.2005.12.010},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20775356}, journal = {Experimental Cell Research},
issn = {0014-4827},
number = 7,
volume = 312,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006},
month = {Sat Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006}
}