Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
 14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Interaction of retrovirus vectors and endogenous retroviruses present in packaging cell lines and target cells may result in unwanted events, such as the formation of recombinant viruses and the mobilization of therapeutic vectors. Using sensitive reverse transcriptase PCR assays, we investigated human and murine gene therapy packaging cell lines for incorporation of endogenous retrovirus transcripts into murine leukemia virus (MLV) vector particles and, conversely, whether vector genomes are incorporated into human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) particles. VL30 endogenous retrovirus sequences were efficiently packaged in particles produced by the murine AM12 packaging system. For every seven MLV-derived beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) vector genomes present in the particles, one copy of VL30 was also packaged. Although human FLY packaging cells expressed several classes of HERV transcripts (HERV-K, HuRT, type C, and RTVL-H), none was detectable in the MLV vector particles released from the cells. Nonspecific packaging of the MLV Gag-Pol expression vector transcripts was detected in the FLY virions at a low level (1 in 17,000 sequences). These findings indicate that human packaging cells produce retrovirus particles far less contaminated by endogenous viral sequences than murine packaging cells. Human teratocarcinoma cells (GH cells), which produce HERV-K particles, were transduced with an MLV-derived beta-Gal vector. Although both HERV-K and RTVL-H sequences were found in association with the particles, beta-Gal transcripts were not detected, indicating that HERV Gag proteins do not efficiently package MLV-based vectors.
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PMID:Packaging of endogenous retroviral sequences in retroviral vectors produced by murine and human packaging cells. 952 84

Intron 9 contains the complete endogenous retrovirus HERV-K(C4) as a 6.4-kb insertion in 60% of human C4 genes. The retroviral insertion is in reverse orientation to the C4 coding sequence. Therefore, expression of C4 could lead to the transcription of an antisense RNA, which might protect against exogenous retroviral infections. To test this hypothesis, open reading frames from the HERV sequence were subcloned in sense orientiation into a vector allowing expression of a beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Mouse L cells which had been stably transfected with either the human C4A or C4B gene both carrying the HERV insertion (LC4 cells), and L(Tk-) cells without the C4 gene were transiently transfected either with a retroviral construct or with the wild-type vector. Expression was monitored using an enzymatic assay. We demonstrated that (1) HERV-K(C4) antisense mRNA transcripts are present in cells constitutively expressing C4, (2) expression of retroviral-like constructs is significantly downregulated in cells expressing C4, and (3) this downregulation is further modulated in a dose-dependent fashion following interferon-gamma stimulation of C4 expression. These results support the hypothesis of a genomic antisense strategy mediated by the HERV-K(C4) insertion as a possible defense mechanism against exogenous retroviral infections.
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PMID:The endogenous retroviral insertion in the human complement C4 gene modulates the expression of homologous genes by antisense inhibition. 1126 24

Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) genomes are chromosomally integrated in all cells of an individual. They are normally transcriptionally silenced and transmitted only vertically. Enhanced expression of HERV-K accompanied by the emergence of anti-HERV-K-directed immune responses has been observed in tumor patients and HIV-infected individuals. As HERV-K is usually not expressed and immunological tolerance development is unlikely, it is an appropriate target for the development of immunotherapies. We generated a recombinant vaccinia virus (MVA-HKenv) expressing the HERV-K envelope glycoprotein (ENV), based on the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), and established an animal model to test its vaccination efficacy. Murine renal carcinoma cells (Renca) were genetically altered to express E. coli beta-galactosidase (RLZ cells) or the HERV-K ENV gene (RLZ-HKenv cells). Intravenous injection of RLZ-HKenv cells into syngenic BALB/c mice led to the formation of pulmonary metastases, which were detectable by X-gal staining. A single vaccination of tumor-bearing mice with MVA-HKenv drastically reduced the number of pulmonary RLZ-HKenv tumor nodules compared to vaccination with wild-type MVA. Prophylactic vaccination of mice with MVA-HKenv precluded the formation of RLZ-HKenv tumor nodules, whereas wild-type MVA-vaccinated animals succumbed to metastasis. Protection from tumor formation correlated with enhanced HERV-K ENV-specific killing activity of splenocytes. These data demonstrate for the first time that HERV-K ENV is a useful target for vaccine development and might offer new treatment opportunities for diverse types of cancer.
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PMID:Vaccination directed against the human endogenous retrovirus-K envelope protein inhibits tumor growth in a murine model system. 2402 43