Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
Biomolecules. 2024 Feb 26;14(3):280. doi: 10.3390/biom14030280.
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) became a part of the eukaryotic genome through endogenization millions of years ago. Moreover, they have lost their innate capability of virulence or replication. Nevertheless, in eukaryotic cells, they actively engage in various activities that may be advantageous or disadvantageous to the cells. The mechanisms by which transcription is triggered and implicated in cellular processes are complex. Owing to the diversity in the expression of transcription factors (TFs) in cells and the TF-binding motifs of viruses, the comprehensibility of ERV initiation and its impact on cellular functions are unclear. Currently, several factors are known to be related to their initiation. TFs that bind to the viral long-terminal repeat (LTR) are critical initiators. This review discusses the TFs shown to actively associate with ERV stimulation across species such as humans, mice, pigs, monkeys, zebrafish, Drosophila, and yeast. A comprehensive summary of the expression of previously reported TFs may aid in identifying similarities between animal species and endogenous viruses. Moreover, an in-depth understanding of ERV expression will assist in elucidating their physiological roles in eukaryotic cell development and in clarifying their relationship with endogenous retrovirus-associated diseases.
内源性逆转录病毒（ERVs）在数百万年前通过内源性化成为真核生物基因组的一部分。此外，它们已经失去了固有毒性或复制能力。然而，在真核细胞中，它们积极参与各种可能对细胞有利或不利的活动。转录被触发并参与细胞过程的机制很复杂。由于细胞中转录因子（TFs）的表达多样性和病毒的 TF 结合基序，ERV 起始的可理解性及其对细胞功能的影响尚不清楚。目前，已知有几个因素与它们的起始有关。与病毒长末端重复序列（LTR）结合的 TF 是关键的启动子。这篇综述讨论了在人类、小鼠、猪、猴子、斑马鱼、果蝇和酵母等物种中被证明与 ERV 刺激积极相关的 TF。对先前报道的 TF 表达的全面总结可以帮助识别动物物种和内源性病毒之间的相似性。此外，深入了解 ERV 的表达将有助于阐明它们在真核细胞发育中的生理作用，并澄清它们与内源性逆转录病毒相关疾病的关系。
