A Dupressoir

Anne Dupressoir

Cécile Vernochet

Francis Harper

Gérard Pierron

JL Blond

Olivia Bawa

Paule Opolon

S Blaise

S Mi

Thierry Heidmann

English

PubMed

Springer - Publisher Connector

BioMed Central
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Retrovirology
Open AccessOral presentation
The syncytin-A envelope gene of retroviral origin is essential for 
mouse placental development
Anne Dupressoir*1, Cécile Vernochet1, Olivia Bawa2, Francis Harper3, 
Gérard Pierron3, Paule Opolon2 and Thierry Heidmann1
Address: 1Unité des Rétrovirus Endogènes et Eléments Rétroïdes des Eucaryotes Supérieurs, UMR 8122 CNRS, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, 
France, 2Vectorologie et Transfert de Gènes, UMR 8121, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France and 3Laboratoire de Réplication de l'ADN et 
Ultrastructure du Noyau, FRE 2937 Institut André Lwoff, Villejuif, France
* Corresponding author    
In several mammalian species, the fusion of throphoblas-
tic cells into a multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast layer -
taking place at the fetomaternal interface-constitutes a key
process of placenta morphogenesis. In the last years, two
pairs of genes of retroviral origin encoding envelope pro-
teins were identified in the human (syncytin-1 and -2) [1-
3] and mouse (syncytin-A and -B) [4] genomes. These
genes, that were independently acquired through ancient
retroviral infections of the primate and muridae lineage,
20 to 40 MYA ago, display the characteristics of potential
effectors of the trophoblast fusion process. In fact, syncy-
tin genes are specifically expressed in the placenta, at the
interhaemal syncytial barrier, display cell-cell fusogenic
activity, and have been functionally conserved in evolu-
tion.
Here, to definitely assess the role of these genes, we gener-
ated knockout mice for syncytin-A. We show that
homozygous syncytin-A null embryos die in utero between
11.5 and 13.5 days of gestation. Syncytin-A-deficient pla-
centae exhibit disruption of the architecture of the syncy-
tiotrophoblast-containing labyrinth, with overexpansion
of trophoblast cells at the expense of fetal blood vessels
spaces, and defects in formation of one of the two interhe-
mal syncytial layers. These results demonstrate that syncy-
tin-A is essential for placenta development and
syncytiotrophoblast morphogenesis, and provide evi-
dence that genes captured from ancestral retroviruses have
been pivotal in the acquisition of new important func-
tions during mammalian evolution.
References
1. Mi S, Lee X, Li X, Veldman G, Finnerty H, Racie L, LaVallie E, Tang X,
Edouard P, Howes S, Keith JJ, McCoy J: Nature 2000, 17:785-89.
2. Blond JL, Lavillette D, Cheynet V, Bouton O, Oriol G, Chapel-Fern-
andes S, Mandrand B, Mallet F, Cosset FL: J Virol 2000, 74:3321-29.
3. Blaise S, de Parseval N, Bénit L, Heidmann T: PNAS 2003,
100:13013-18.
4. Dupressoir A, Marceau G, Vernochet C, Benit L, Kanellopoulos C,
Sapin V, Heidmann T: PNAS 2005, 102:725-30.
from Frontiers of Retrovirology: Complex retroviruses, retroelements and their hosts
Montpellier, France. 21-23 September 2009
Published: 24 September 2009
Retrovirology 2009, 6(Suppl 2):O3 doi:10.1186/1742-4690-6-S2-O3
<supplement> <title> <p>Frontiers of Retrovirology: Complex retroviruses, retroelements and their hosts</p> </title> <note>Meeting abstracts - A single PDF containing all abstracts in this Supplement is available <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/files/pdf/1742-4690-6-S2-full.pdf">here</a>.</note> <url>http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1742-4690-6-S2-info.pdf</url> </supplement>
This abstract is available from: http://www.retrovirology.com/content/6/S2/O3
© 2009 Dupressoir et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 


The syncytin-A envelope gene of retroviral origin is essential for mouse placental development

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102:725-30. from Frontiers of Retrovirology: Complex retroviruses, retroelements and their hosts

74:3321-29. 3 . B l a i s e S , d e P a r s e v a l N , B é n i t L , H e i d m a n n T : PNAS

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The syncytin-A envelope gene of retroviral origin is essential for mouse placental development

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