Kovalskaya Elena, Buzdin Anton, Gogvadze Elena, Vinogradova Tatyana, Sverdlov Eugene
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya, Moscow 117997, Russia.
Virology. 2006 Mar 15;346(2):373-8. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2005.11.007. Epub 2005 Dec 7.
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) occupy about 5% of human DNA and are thought to be remnants of ancient retroviral infections of human ancestors' germ cells. HERVs can modify expression of host cell genes through their cis-regulatory elements concentrated in their long terminal repeats (LTRs). Although numerous HERV-related RNAs were identified in the human transcriptome, for most of them, it remains unclear whether they are LTR-promoted or read-through products initiated from neighboring genomic promoters. Here, we describe mapping of transcriptional start sites within solitary and proviral LTRs of the HERV-K (HML-2) human-specific subfamily of endogenous retroviruses. Surprisingly, the transcription was initiated predominantly from the very 3' termini of the LTR R regions. The data presented here may shed light on adaptive coevolution of human endogenous retroviruses with their host cells.
人类内源性逆转录病毒（HERV）约占人类DNA的5%，被认为是人类祖先生殖细胞古代逆转录病毒感染的残余物。HERV可通过集中在其长末端重复序列（LTR）中的顺式调控元件来改变宿主细胞基因的表达。尽管在人类转录组中鉴定出了许多与HERV相关的RNA，但对于其中大多数RNA，它们是否由LTR启动或由邻近基因组启动子引发的通读产物仍不清楚。在这里，我们描述了内源性逆转录病毒HERV-K（HML-2）人类特异性亚家族的单独和前病毒LTR内转录起始位点的定位。令人惊讶的是，转录主要从LTR R区域的3'末端起始。本文提供的数据可能有助于揭示人类内源性逆转录病毒与其宿主细胞的适应性协同进化。
