title: Syncytin: the major regulator of trophoblast fusion? Recent developments and hypotheses on its action.
abstract: Syncytin is a membrane protein derived from the envelope gene of an endogenous retrovirus of the HERV-W family. The gene appears to be almost exclusively expressed in placenta; the protein was found in particular in syncytiotrophoblast. After transfection into various cell types it has proven to be a very fusogenic protein, inducing the formation of syncytia. Therefore, the question rises as to whether syncytin is responsible for the fusion process of villous cytotrophoblast into syncytiotrophoblast in vivo. If so, how is this fusion process regulated if syncytin is found all over the syncytiotrophoblast? Can this process be regulated through local or temporal changes in syncytin expression, or is syncytin merely one factor in a cascade of events leading to fusion limited at some other level? This review will try to summarize the published data on the regulation of fusion in trophoblast models as well as on the localization and regulation of syncytin expression and of its presumed receptors. Assuming that syncytin is the key factor inducing trophoblast fusion, a number of models will be presented by which syncytin and/or its receptors might regulate this process. In some of the hypotheses proposed, local coexpression of syncytin and receptor, leading to blocking of one factor by the other, is of functional relevance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy II, University Hospital Aachen, Wendlingweg 2, D-52057 Aachen, Germany. apotgens@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: A J G
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pötgens
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drewlo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kokozidou
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D008954:Models, Biological; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000502:physiology; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026962:Amino Acid Transport System ASC; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; C498848:SLC1A4 protein, human; C420506:SLC1A5 protein, human; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C405335:syncytin