Human Reproduction Update Advance Access originally published online on August 27, 2004
Human Reproduction Update 2004 10(6):487-496; doi:10.1093/humupd/dmh039
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Syncytin: the major regulator of trophoblast fusion? Recent developments and hypotheses on its action
Department of Anatomy II, University Hospital Aachen, Wendlingweg 2, D-52057 Aachen, Germany
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: apotgens{at}ukaachen.de
Syncytin is a membrane protein derived from the envelope gene of an endogenous retrovirus of the HERV-W family. The gene appears to be almost exclusively expressed in placenta; the protein was found in particular in syncytiotrophoblast. After transfection into various cell types it has proven to be a very fusogenic protein, inducing the formation of syncytia. Therefore, the question rises as to whether syncytin is responsible for the fusion process of villous cytotrophoblast into syncytiotrophoblast in vivo. If so, how is this fusion process regulated if syncytin is found all over the syncytiotrophoblast? Can this process be regulated through local or temporal changes in syncytin expression, or is syncytin merely one factor in a cascade of events leading to fusion limited at some other level? This review will try to summarize the published data on the regulation of fusion in trophoblast models as well as on the localization and regulation of syncytin expression and of its presumed receptors. Assuming that syncytin is the key factor inducing trophoblast fusion, a number of models will be presented by which syncytin and/or its receptors might regulate this process. In some of the hypotheses proposed, local coexpression of syncytin and receptor, leading to blocking of one factor by the other, is of functional relevance.
Key words: cell–cell fusion / HERV-W / retrovirus receptor type D / syncytin / trophoblast
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. V. Pajcini, J. H. Pomerantz, O. Alkan, R. Doyonnas, and H. M. Blau Myoblasts and macrophages share molecular components that contribute to cell-cell fusion J. Cell Biol., March 5, 2008; 180(5): 1005 - 1019. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 X. Peng, J. Pan, R. Gong, Y. Liu, S. Kang, H. Feng, G. Qiu, D. Guo, P. Tien, and G. Xiao Functional Characterization of Syncytin-A, a Newly Murine Endogenous Virus Envelope Protein: IMPLICATION FOR ITS FUSION MECHANISM J. Biol. Chem., January 5, 2007; 282(1): 381 - 389. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Muir, A. M. L. Lever, and A. Moffett Human endogenous retrovirus-W envelope (syncytin) is expressed in both villous and extravillous trophoblast populations J. Gen. Virol., July 1, 2006; 87(7): 2067 - 2071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P.A. Elustondo, G.E. Hannigan, I. Caniggia, and D.J. MacPhee Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) Is Highly Expressed in First Trimester Human Chorionic Villi and Regulates Migration of a Human Cytotrophoblast-Derived Cell Line Biol Reprod, May 1, 2006; 74(5): 959 - 968. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C.-W. Chang, H.-C. Chuang, C. Yu, T.-P. Yao, and H. Chen Stimulation of GCMa Transcriptional Activity by Cyclic AMP/Protein Kinase A Signaling Is Attributed to CBP-Mediated Acetylation of GCMa Mol. Cell. Biol., October 1, 2005; 25(19): 8401 - 8414. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|