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Functional analysis of the HERV-K LTR residing in the KIAA1245/NBPF subfamily genes

  • Genomics and Transcriptomics
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Abstract

Long terminal repeats (LTRs) of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) might affect transcription regulation of neighboring genes. In our previous study, we showed that the solitary LTR residing in the KIAA1245/NBPF gene subfamily displayed high enhancer activity in a transformed embryonal carcinoma cell line Tera 1. In this study, we performed a functional dissection of the LTR and studied its deletion series. Using transient transfection assay, we confirmed the ability of the LTR to drive the expression of the luciferase reporter gene in Tera1 cells. At the same time, in two other transformed cell lines tested, NGP and NT2/D1, the full-size LTR and its fragments showed no or low enhancer activity, thus demonstrating cell type specificity of the LTR enhancer activity. The functional dissection of the LTR revealed a specific region within the U3 part appeared to be responsible for the enhancer properties. We showed that the identified enhancer was able to work in a highly cell type specific manner. The data obtained are in line with the hypothesis suggesting that KIAA1245/NBPF LTR may affect the transcription regulation of the KIAA1245/NBPF subfamily genes.

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Abbreviations

LTR:

long terminal repeat

HERV-K:

Human endogenous retrovirus of the K

NBPF:

Neuroblastoma breakpoint family

NCBI:

National Center for Biotechnology Information of the USA

UCSC:

University of California Santa Cruz

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia

    N. D. Abrarova, E. A. Stoukacheva, V. V. Pleshkan, T. V. Vinogradova & E. D. Sverdlov

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  1. N. D. Abrarova
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  2. E. A. Stoukacheva
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  3. V. V. Pleshkan
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  4. T. V. Vinogradova
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  5. E. D. Sverdlov
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Correspondence to N. D. Abrarova.

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Original Russian Text © N.D. Abrarova, E.A. Stoukacheva, V.V. Pleshkan, T.V. Vinogradova, E.D. Sverdlov, 2010, published in Molekulyarnaya Biologiya, 2010, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 627–634.

The article was translated by the authors.

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Abrarova, N.D., Stoukacheva, E.A., Pleshkan, V.V. et al. Functional analysis of the HERV-K LTR residing in the KIAA1245/NBPF subfamily genes. Mol Biol 44, 552–558 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026893310040084

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026893310040084

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