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Expression-analysis of the human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K in human astrocytic tumors

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-110211
  • Background The human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) has been acquired by the genome of human ancestors million years ago. It is the most complete of the HERVs with transcriptionally active gag, pol and env genes. Splice variants of env, which are rec, 1.5 kb transcript and Np9 have been suggested to be tumorigenic. Transcripts of HERV-K have been detected in a multitude of human cancers. However, no such reports are available concerning glioblastomas (GBM), the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Patients have a limited prognosisBackground The human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) has been acquired by the genome of human ancestors million years ago. It is the most complete of the HERVs with transcriptionally active gag, pol and env genes. Splice variants of env, which are rec, 1.5 kb transcript and Np9 have been suggested to be tumorigenic. Transcripts of HERV-K have been detected in a multitude of human cancers. However, no such reports are available concerning glioblastomas (GBM), the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. Patients have a limited prognosis of 14.6 months in median, despite standard treatment. Therefore, we elucidated whether HERV-K transcripts could be detected in these tumors and serve as new molecular target for treatment. Findings We analyzed human GBM cell lines, tissue samples from patients and primary cell cultures of different passages for HERV-K full length mRNA and env, rec and 1.5 kb transcripts. While the GBM cell lines U138, U251, U343 and GaMG displayed weak and U87 strong expression of the full length HERV-K, the splice products could not be detected, despite a weak expression of env mRNA in U87 cells. Very few tissue samples from patients showed weak expression of env mRNA, but none of the rec or 1.5 kb transcripts. Primary cells expressed the 1.5 kb transcript weakly in early passages, but lost HERV-K expression with extended culture time. Conclusions These data suggest that HERV-K splice products do not play a role in human malignant gliomas and therefore, are not suitable as targets for new therapy regimen.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Carsten Hagemann, Almuth Friederike Kessler, Miriam Wiesner, Joachim Denner, Ulrike Kämmerer, Giles Hamilton Vince, Thomas Linsenmann, Mario Löhr, Ralf-Ingo Ernestus
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-110211
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Medizinische Fakultät / Frauenklinik und Poliklinik
Medizinische Fakultät / Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik
Language:English
Year of Completion:2014
Source:In: BMC Research Notes 2014, 7:159. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-159
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-7-159
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Tag:Astrocytic tumor; Expression; Glioblastoma cell line; Glioblastoma multiforme; HERV-K; Human endogenous retrovirus; PCR analysis
Release Date:2015/02/27
Collections:Open-Access-Publikationsfonds / Förderzeitraum 2014
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung