Faculty Collaboration Database

Tumor suppressor Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 selectively blocks expression of endogenous retrovirus. Virology 2019 Jan 02;526:52-60

Date

10/21/2018

Pubmed ID

30342302

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6875439

DOI

10.1016/j.virol.2018.10.003

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85054799725 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   8 Citations

Abstract

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) comprise 10% of the genome, with many of these transcriptionally silenced post early embryogenesis. Several stimuli, including exogenous virus infection and cellular transformation can reactivate ERV expression via a poorly understood mechanism. We identified Interferon Regulatory Factor 1 (IRF-1), a tumor suppressor and an antiviral host factor, as a suppressor of ERV expression. IRF-1 decreased expression of a specific mouse ERV in vitro and in vivo. IRF-3, but not IRF-7, also decreased expression of distinct ERV families, suggesting that suppression of ERVs is a relevant biological function of the IRF family. Given the emerging appreciation of the physiological relevance of ERV expression in cancer, IRF-1-mediated suppression of specific ERVs may contribute to the overall tumor suppressor activity of this host factor.

Author List

Stoltz KP, Jondle CN, Pulakanti K, Sylvester PA, Urrutia R, Rao S, Tarakanova VL

Authors

Sridhar Rao MD, PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Vera Tarakanova PhD Professor in the Microbiology and Immunology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Raul A. Urrutia MD Center Director, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Cells, Cultured
Endogenous Retroviruses
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
Interferon Regulatory Factor-1
Interferon Regulatory Factor-3
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
Tumor Suppressor Proteins