title: Human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K113 is capable of producing intact viral particles.
abstract: Of all human endogenous retroviruses known today, HERV-K is the only one that has been shown to produce viral particles. While the first of the approximately 30 HERV-K sequences integrated into the human genome more than 40 million years ago, evidence is accumulating that HERV-K was active more recently, provirus HERV-K113 being the youngest sequence found. However, it is unclear which HERV-K sequences code for the viral particles that are produced by human germ-cell tumours or melanomas. Here, we show that the provirus HERV-K113, cloned into a baculovirus expression vector, is capable of producing intact particles of retroviral morphology, exhibiting the typical structure of those particles that were characterized in cell lines derived from human germ-cell tumours. Thus, the HERV-K113 sequence is a candidate for particle production in vivo and for an active human endogenous retrovirus of today.
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boller
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schönfeld
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lischer
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, D-13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.affiliation: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, D-63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Tönjes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D011533:Proviruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D018411:Spodoptera / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral