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Microorganisms
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Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects of Endogenous Viruses
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Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects of Endogenous Viruses

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Virology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 14320

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Martin S. Staege

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Surgical and Conservative Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Interests: hodgkin lymphoma; ewing sarcoma; cytotoxic T cells; endogenous retroviruses; multiple sclerosis; gene expression analysis (gene expression music algorithms)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alexander Emmer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Interests: multiple sclerosis; T lymphocytes; retrovirus; autoimmune disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The genomes of higher eukaryotes contain thousands of sequences with sequence similarity to viruses. For instance, endogenous retroviruses are common contaminants of vertebrate genomes and endogenous caulimoviruses can be found regularly in genomes of flowering plants. Such sequences are considered to be remnants of germ line infections with exogenous viruses. Usually these sequences do not allow the synthesis of complete virions but some of them contain open reading frames that allow the translation of individual proteins. In addition, regulatory elements from these endogenous viruses can influence gene expression in the host cell. Only few sequences, e.g. the syncytins in mammals, have known functions. However, growing evidence indicates that endogenous viruses and related elements are involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes ranging from immune-modulation to cancer and autoimmunity.

We invite authors who are experts in this field to contribute original articles or review articles that are not yet published or that are not currently under review by other journals.

Apl. Prof. Dr. Martin S. Staege
Dr. Alexander Emmer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Mobilome
  • Transposable elements
  • Envelope proteins
  • Signaling pathways
  • Gene expression
  • Neurodegeneration
  • Inflammation
  • Autoimmunity
  • Cancer

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2104 KiB  
Article
HERV-K Modulates the Immune Response in ALS Patients
by Giannina Arru, Grazia Galleri, Giovanni A. Deiana, Ignazio R. Zarbo, Elia Sechi, Marco Bo, Maria Piera L. Cadoni, Davide G. Corda, Claudia Frau, Elena R. Simula, Maria Antonietta Manca, Franca Galistu, Paolo Solla, Roberto Manetti, Gian Pietro Sechi and Leonardo A. Sechi
Microorganisms 2021, 9(8), 1784; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9081784 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4414
Abstract
Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K env-su glycoprotein has been documented in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where HERV-K env-su 19–37 antibody levels significantly correlated with clinical measures of disease severity. Herein, we investigated further the humoral and cell-mediated immune response against specific antigenic peptides derived [...] Read more.
Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K env-su glycoprotein has been documented in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where HERV-K env-su 19–37 antibody levels significantly correlated with clinical measures of disease severity. Herein, we investigated further the humoral and cell-mediated immune response against specific antigenic peptides derived from HERV-K in ALS. HERV-K env glycoprotein expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) membrane and cytokines and chemokines after stimulation with HERV-K env 19–37 and HERV-K env 109–126 were quantified in patients and healthy controls (HCs). HERV-K env glycoprotein was more expressed in B cells and NK cells of ALS patients compared to HCs, whereas HERV-K env transcripts were similar in ALS and HCs. In ALS patients, specific stimulation with HERV-K env 109–126 peptide showed a higher expression of IL-6 by CD19/B cells. Both peptides, however, were able to induce a great production of IFN-γ by stimulation CD19/B cells, and yielded a higher expression of MIP-1α and a lower expression of MCP-1. HERV-K env 19–37 peptide induced a great production of TNF-α in CD8/T cells. In conclusion, we observed the ability of HERV-K to modulate the immune system, generating mediators mainly involved in proinflammatory response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects of Endogenous Viruses)
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41 pages, 5473 KiB  
Article
Predicted Cellular Interactors of the Endogenous Retrovirus-K Integrase Enzyme
by Ilena Benoit, Signy Brownell and Renée N. Douville
Microorganisms 2021, 9(7), 1509; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9071509 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2678
Abstract
Integrase (IN) enzymes are found in all retroviruses and are crucial in the retroviral integration process. Many studies have revealed how exogenous IN enzymes, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) IN, contribute to altered cellular function. However, the same consideration has not [...] Read more.
Integrase (IN) enzymes are found in all retroviruses and are crucial in the retroviral integration process. Many studies have revealed how exogenous IN enzymes, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) IN, contribute to altered cellular function. However, the same consideration has not been given to viral IN originating from symbionts within our own DNA. Endogenous retrovirus-K (ERVK) is pathologically associated with neurological and inflammatory diseases along with several cancers. The ERVK IN interactome is unknown, and the question of how conserved the ERVK IN protein–protein interaction motifs are as compared to other retroviral integrases is addressed in this paper. The ERVK IN protein sequence was analyzed using the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) database, and the results are compared to ELMs of other betaretroviral INs and similar eukaryotic INs. A list of putative ERVK IN cellular protein interactors was curated from the ELM list and submitted for STRING analysis to generate an ERVK IN interactome. KEGG analysis was used to identify key pathways potentially influenced by ERVK IN. It was determined that the ERVK IN potentially interacts with cellular proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR), cell cycle, immunity, inflammation, cell signaling, selective autophagy, and intracellular trafficking. The most prominent pathway identified was viral carcinogenesis, in addition to select cancers, neurological diseases, and diabetic complications. This potentiates the role of ERVK IN in these pathologies via protein–protein interactions facilitating alterations in key disease pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects of Endogenous Viruses)
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Review

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54 pages, 2783 KiB  
Review
Microorganisms as Shapers of Human Civilization, from Pandemics to Even Our Genomes: Villains or Friends? A Historical Approach
by Francisco Rodríguez-Frías, Josep Quer, David Tabernero, Maria Francesca Cortese, Selene Garcia-Garcia, Ariadna Rando-Segura and Tomas Pumarola
Microorganisms 2021, 9(12), 2518; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9122518 - 06 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6419
Abstract
Universal history is characterized by continuous evolution, in which civilizations are born and die. This evolution is associated with multiple factors, among which the role of microorganisms is often overlooked. Viruses and bacteria have written or decisively contributed to terrible episodes of history, [...] Read more.
Universal history is characterized by continuous evolution, in which civilizations are born and die. This evolution is associated with multiple factors, among which the role of microorganisms is often overlooked. Viruses and bacteria have written or decisively contributed to terrible episodes of history, such as the Black Death in 14th century Europe, the annihilation of pre-Columbian American civilizations, and pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu or the current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, it is clear that we could not live in a world without these tiny beings. Endogenous retroviruses have been key to our evolution and for the regulation of gene expression, and the gut microbiota helps us digest compounds that we could not otherwise process. In addition, we have used microorganisms to preserve or prepare food for millennia and more recently to obtain drugs such as antibiotics or to develop recombinant DNA technologies. Due to the enormous importance of microorganisms for our survival, they have significantly influenced the population genetics of different human groups. This paper will review the role of microorganisms as “villains” who have been responsible for tremendous mortality throughout history but also as “friends” who help us survive and evolve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Pathophysiological Aspects of Endogenous Viruses)
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