Biology:Syncytin-2

From HandWiki
Short description: Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens


A representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices.
Generic protein structure example

Syncytin-2 also known as endogenous retrovirus group FRD member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ERVFRD-1 gene.[1] This protein plays a key role in the implantation of human embryos in the womb.[2]

This gene is conserved among all primates, with an estimated age of 45 million years. The receptor for this fusogenic env protein is MFSD2. The mouse syncytins are not true orthologues.[3]

The virus, along with some very similar insertions, belong to a group under the Gammaretrovirus-like class I ERVs. Similar ERVs are found in artiodactyls, a result of an independent integration event.[4] A proposed nomenclature suggests putting all such "class I" elements in a genus-level taxon separate from Gammaretrovirus.[5]

References

  1. "Entrez Gene: HERV-FRD HERV-FRD provirus ancestral Env polyprotein". https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=gene&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=405754. 
  2. "Syncytin-2 plays an important role in the fusion of human trophoblast cells". Journal of Molecular Biology 392 (2): 301–18. 2009. doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2009.07.025. PMID 19616006. 
  3. "Paleovirology of 'syncytins', retroviral env genes exapted for a role in placentation". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 368 (1626): 20120507. September 2013. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0507. PMID 23938756. 
  4. Vargiu, L; Rodriguez-Tomé, P; Sperber, GO; Cadeddu, M; Grandi, N; Blikstad, V; Tramontano, E; Blomberg, J (22 January 2016). "Classification and characterization of human endogenous retroviruses; mosaic forms are common.". Retrovirology 13: 7. doi:10.1186/s12977-015-0232-y. PMID 26800882. 
  5. Gifford, RJ; Blomberg, J; Coffin, JM; Fan, H; Heidmann, T; Mayer, J; Stoye, J; Tristem, M et al. (28 August 2018). "Nomenclature for endogenous retrovirus (ERV) loci.". Retrovirology 15 (1): 59. doi:10.1186/s12977-018-0442-1. PMID 30153831. 

Further reading