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Author Spotlight: Investigating Lens Development and Function Through Microinjection of RCAS(A) Retrovirus in Embryonic Chicken Lens
Published on: September 1, 2023
Inhibition of budding/release of porcine endogenous retrovirus
Masumi Abe1, Aiko Fukuma, Rokusuke Yoshikawa
1Fifth Biology Section for Microbiology, First Department of Forensic Science, National Research Institute of Police Science, Kashiwa, 277-0882.
Abstract:
PERV is integrated into the genome of all pigs. PERV-A and PERV-B are polytropic and can productively infect human cell lines, whereas PERV-C is ecotropic. Recombinant PERV-A/C can infect human cells and exhibits high titer replication. Therefore, use of pigs for human xenotransplantation raises concerns about the risks of transfer of this infectious agent from donors to xenotransplantation recipients. To establish strategies to inhibit PERV production from cells, in the present study, we investigated the mechanism of PERV budding and anti-PERV activity of Tetherin/BST-2. The results showed that DN mutants of WWP-2, Tsg101, and Vps4A/B markedly reduced PERV production in human and porcine cell lines, suggesting that PERV budding uses these cellular factors and the cellular MVB sorting pathway as well as many other retroviruses. Moreover, PERV production was also reduced by human and porcine Tetherin/BST-2. These data are useful for developing strategies to inhibit PERV production and may reduce the risk of PERV infection in xenotransplantation.
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