title: The application of strand invasion phenomenon, directed by peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) for the recognition of specific sequences of human endogenous retroviral HERV-W family.
abstract: The HERV-W family of human endogenous retroviruses represents a group of numerous sequences that show close similarity in genetic composition. It has been documented that some members of HERV-W-derived expression products are supposed to play significant role in humans' pathology, such as multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia. Other members of the family are necessary to orchestrate physiological processes (eg, ERVWE1 coding syncytin-1 that is engaged in syncytiotrophoblast formation). Therefore, an assay that would allow the recognition of particular form of HERV-W members is highly desirable. A peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated technique for the discrimination between multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus and ERVWE1 sequence has been developed. The assay uses a PNA probe that, being fully complementary to the ERVWE1 but not to multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MSRV) template, shows high selective potential. Single-stranded DNA binding protein facilitates the PNA-mediated, sequence-specific formation of strand invasion complex and, consequently, local DNA unwinding. The target DNA may be then excluded from further analysis in any downstream process such as single-stranded DNA-specific exonuclease action. Finally, the reaction conditions have been optimized, and several PNA probes that are targeted toward distinct loci along whole HERV-W env sequences have been evaluated. We believe that PNA/single-stranded DNA binding protein-based application has the potential to selectively discriminate particular HERV-W molecules as they are at least suspected to play pathogenic role in a broad range of medical conditions, from psycho-neurologic disorders (multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia) and cancers (breast cancer) to that of an auto-immunologic background (psoriasis and lupus erythematosus).
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9081-0984
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Machnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Bułdak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruczyński
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gąsior
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huzarska
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belowski
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alenowicz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rekowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, 40-760, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Okopień
mesh_terms: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000821:virology; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020135:Peptide Nucleic Acids; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: endogenous retroviruses; multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MSRV); peptide nucleic acid (PNA); single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB)