人类基因组包含成千上万个古老的逆转录病毒,积累了数百万年的进化。为了减少基因组中的进一步扩增,宿主通过表观遗传抑制阻止这些内源性逆转录病毒(ERV)的转录,随着进化的时间,ERV通过积累突变和缺失而丧失行为能力。然而,最近内源性ERV组的几个成员仍然保留产生病毒RNA的能力,逆转录病毒蛋白,和更高阶的结构,包括病毒体.病毒特征的保留,结合表观遗传抑制的可逆性,特别是在癌症中,允许免疫学上意外的ERV表达,适应性免疫系统认为是真正的逆转录病毒感染,它必须回应。因此,已在各种疾病中检测到与ERV抗原反应的抗体,偶尔,在健康的个体中。虽然他们是自我的一部分,逆转录病毒遗留的ERV抗原,以及与和的联系,可能,疾病状态的原因可能会使它们与典型的自身抗原区分开来。因此,致病性或,的确,针对ERV抗原的抗体的宿主保护能力可能与环境相关.这里,我们回顾了典型ERV蛋白的免疫原性,重点是抗体反应及其潜在的疾病影响。
The human genome harbors hundreds of thousands of integrations of ancient retroviruses, amassed over millions of years of evolution. To reduce further amplification in the genome, the host prevents transcription of these now endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) through epigenetic repression and, with evolutionary time, ERVs are incapacitated by accumulating mutations and deletions. However, several members of recently endogenized ERV groups still retain the capacity to produce viral RNA, retroviral proteins, and higher order structures, including virions. The retention of viral characteristics, combined with the reversible nature of epigenetic repression, particularly as seen in cancer, allow for immunologically unanticipated ERV expression, perceived by the adaptive immune system as a genuine retroviral infection, to which it has to respond. Accordingly, antibodies reactive with ERV antigens have been detected in diverse disorders and, occasionally, in healthy individuals. Although they are part of self, the retroviral legacy of ERV antigens, and association with and, possibly, causation of disease states may set them apart from typical self-antigens. Consequently, the pathogenic or, indeed, host-protective capacity of antibodies targeting ERV antigens is likely to be context-dependent. Here, we review the immunogenicity of typical ERV proteins, with emphasis on the antibody response and its potential disease implications.