PUBLICATION
A zebrafish reporter line reveals immune and neuronal expression of endogenous retrovirus
- Authors
- Rutherford, H.A., Clarke, A., Chambers, E.V., Petts, J.J., Carson, E.G., Isles, H.M., Duque-Jaramillo, A., Renshaw, S.A., Levraud, J.P., Hamilton, N.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-220211-6
- Date
- 2022
- Source
- Disease models & mechanisms 15(4): (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Levraud, Jean-Pierre
- Keywords
- zferv, Endogenous retrovirus, LTR, Reporter line, Retroelement, Zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Animals, Genetically Modified
- Endogenous Retroviruses*/genetics
- Mammals
- Neurons
- Retroviridae Infections*/genetics
- Zebrafish/genetics
- PubMed
- 35142349 Full text @ Dis. Model. Mech.
Citation
Rutherford, H.A., Clarke, A., Chambers, E.V., Petts, J.J., Carson, E.G., Isles, H.M., Duque-Jaramillo, A., Renshaw, S.A., Levraud, J.P., Hamilton, N. (2022) A zebrafish reporter line reveals immune and neuronal expression of endogenous retrovirus. Disease models & mechanisms. 15(4):.
Abstract
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are fossils left in our genome from retrovirus infections of the past. Their sequences are part of every vertebrate genome and their random integrations are thought to have contributed to evolution. Although ERVs are mainly kept silenced by the host genome, they are found activated in multiple disease states such as auto-inflammatory disorders and neurological diseases. What makes defining their role in health and diseases challenging is the numerous copies in mammalian genomes and the lack of tools to study them. In this study, we identified 8 copies of the zebrafish endogenous retrovirus (zferv). We created and characterised the first in vivo ERV reporter line in any species. Using a combination of live imaging, flow cytometry and single cell RNA sequencing, we mapped zferv expression to early T cells and neurons. Thus, this new tool identified tissues expressing ERV in zebrafish, highlighting a potential role of ERV during brain development and strengthening the hypothesis that ERV play a role in immunity and neurological diseases. This transgenic line is therefore a suitable tool to study the function of ERV in health and diseases.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping