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Influence of the human endogenous retrovirus-like element HERV-E.PTN on the expression of growth factor pleiotrophin: a critical role of a retroviral Sp1-binding site

Oncogene volume 19, pages 3988–3998 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Germ line insertion of a human endogenous retrovirus-like element (HERV-E.PTN) into the growth factor pleiotrophin (PTN) gene generated a phylogenetically new promoter driving the expression of functional HERV-PTN fusion transcripts. Here we show by in situ hybridization, that HERV-PTN fusion transcripts are expressed in malignant trophoblasts (i.e. choriocarcinoma) and in the proliferative and in the invasive trophoblasts of gestational trophoblastic tissue. Additionally, a 1.9 kb fragment of the HERV-derived PTN promoter was analysed which has strong activity when transiently transfected into choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells in contrast to HeLa cells. Deletion of the retrovirally-derived promoter portion abolished its activity and an enhancer (+443 to +486) was identified in this region. Electrophoretic mobility shift and supershift experiments identified a Sp1 binding site in this enhancer and site specific mutation of this site abolished its activity in choriocarcinoma cells. Sp1 overexpression in Drosophila SL2 cells showed that the enhancer activity is mediated via Sp1 binding in vivo. Furthermore, mutation of the Sp1 binding site reduced the activity of a promoter test fragment in choriocarcinoma cells by 80%. Our result shows that a retroviral Sp1 binding site in the PTN promoter is important for the expression of growth factor pleiotrophin in human choriocarcinoma cells.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Shih (Johns Hopkins University) for the paraffin embedded tissue and his scientific expertise, Dr Brady (NIH) for the anti-Sp1 antibody, Dr Johnson (NCI-Frederick) for help with the nuclear extract preparations, Dr Glazer (Georgetown University) for the Sp1 consensus oligonucleotide and the pPAC and pPACSp1 expression vectors, Ms Beagel (Georgetown University) for her technical assistance, Dr Prasad (Georgetown University) for the anti-cytokeratin antibody and Dr Lippmann (Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University) for his discussions and helpful suggestions. This work was supported by NIH SPORE grant CA58185 and the DOD Breast Cancer Program.

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  1. Department of Oncology, Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

    Anke M Schulte, Claudius Malerczyk, Rafael Cabal-Manzano, Jason J Gajarsa, Heinz-Joachim List, Anna Tate Riegel & Anton Wellstein

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Schulte, A., Malerczyk, C., Cabal-Manzano, R. et al. Influence of the human endogenous retrovirus-like element HERV-E.PTN on the expression of growth factor pleiotrophin: a critical role of a retroviral Sp1-binding site. Oncogene 19, 3988–3998 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1203742

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