title: Physical and functional interactions of human endogenous retrovirus proteins Np9 and rec with the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein.
abstract: Only few of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences in the human genome can produce proteins. We have previously reported that (i) patients with germ cell tumors often make antibodies against proteins encoded by HERV-K elements, (ii) expression of the HERV-K rec gene in transgenic mice can interfere with germ cell development and induce carcinoma in situ, and (iii) HERV-K np9 transcript is overproduced in many tumors including breast cancers. Here we document that both Np9 and Rec physically and functionally interact with the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) tumor suppressor, a transcriptional repressor and chromatin remodeler implicated in cancer and the self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells. Interaction is mediated via two different central and C-terminal domains of Np9 and Rec and the C-terminal zinc fingers of PLZF. One major target of PLZF is the c-myc proto-oncogene. Coexpression of Np9 and Rec with PLZF abrogates the transcriptional repression of the c-myc gene promoter by PLZF and results in c-Myc overproduction, altered expression of c-Myc-regulated genes, and corresponding effects on cell proliferation and survival. Thus, the human endogenous retrovirus proteins Np9 and Rec may act oncogenically by derepressing c-myc through the inhibition of PLZF.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Saarland Medical School, Homburg/Saar D-66421, Germany.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Denne
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Vivienne
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Armbruester
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Licht
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roemer
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mueller-Lantzsch
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000075722:Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C485839:ERVK-6 protein, human endogenous retrovirus; D015686:Gene Products, env; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; C469430:Np9 protein, HERV-K, human; D000075722:Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C092037:ZBTB16 protein, human