title: Human endogenous retroviral K element encodes fusogenic activity in melanoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nuclear atypia with features of multi nuclei have been detected in human melanoma specimens. We found that the K type human endogenous retroviral element (HERV K) is expressed in such cells. Since cellular syncytia can form when cells are infected with retroviruses, we hypothesized that HERV K expressed in melanoma cells may contribute to the formation of multinuclear atypia cells in melanoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We specifically inhibited HERV K expression using RNA interference (RNAi) and monoclonal antibodies and observed dramatic reduction of intercellular fusion of cultured melanoma cells. Importantly, we identified loss of heterozygosity (LOH)of D19S433 in a cell clone that survived and proliferated after cell fusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the notion that proteins encoded by HERV K can mediate intercellular fusion of melanoma cells, which may generate multinuclear cells and drive the evolution of genetic changes that provide growth and survival advantages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, USA ; Sealy Center for Cancer Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Gengming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhongwu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
keywords: Cell fusion; K-type human endogenous retroviral deoxyribonucleic acid; melanoma