Month: September 2022

REJECTION SUPPRESSION. "As an additional interesting feature of Syncytin proteins, again shared with a certain number of exogenous retroviruses, the presence of an immunosuppressive domain (ISD) has also been demonstrated in these ERV proteins." https://lnkd.in/eNxap6v View in LinkedIn

IMMUNOSUPPRESSION. "Due to the presence of their ISD domain, early identification of both Syncytin-1 and-2 suggested that these proteins could be involved in the fetomaternal tolerance state prevailing during pregnancy. It is indeed known that exogenous retroviruses frequently induce severe immunosuppression in both human and animals." https://lnkd.in/eNxap6v View in LinkedIn

MONUMENTAL ACCIDENT. "An accidental infection of a mammalian ancestor by a retrovirus was responsible for the evolution of a novel mechanism of reproduction, one that launched the entire lineage of placental mammals no less." https://lnkd.in/e6q2jTP View in LinkedIn

SYNCYTINS. "Retroviruses appear to have a particular ‘affinity’ for placentas. Retroviral particles and mRNAs are often observed in placentas and several genes use retroviral promoters to produce placenta-specific transcripts. Domesticated retroviral envelope proteins (‘syncytins’) promote the fusion of mononucleate trophoblast cells to form a syncytial layer at the maternal–fetal interface of primates and rodents." https://lnkd.in/edp9HQZ View in LinkedIn

HUMAN ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRUSES. "Two ERV genes, termed Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-2, which encode former envelope (Env) proteins, trigger fusion events between villous cytotrophoblasts and the peripheral multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast layer." https://lnkd.in/eNxap6v View in LinkedIn

Karen Reith View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE continues this weekend with how more complex parasites can hijack the host cell machinery in order to replicate. These parasites hack their way into the host biochemistry by using highly sophisticated, and evolving strategies. Multicellular parasites often also adopt complex life cycles with various body formats in order to avoid host defenses. This transformation itself is not trivial. View in LinkedIn

"METABOLIC MANIPULATION of host cells by intracellular pathogens is currently recognized to play an important role in the pathology of infection." https://lnkd.in/egTnZjj View in LinkedIn

HIDE-AND-SEEK. "Parasites have evolved elegant strategies to survive and replicate within their hosts. One strategy includes constantly changing their cellular state in order to progress through their life cycle, while simultaneously evading recognition by the host immune system. The vast number of developmental stages, combined with distinct tissue tropisms, increases the complexity of host–parasite interactions." https://lnkd.in/erQdieM View in LinkedIn

MORPHING PARASITES. "Because many parasites have different body forms during their life cycle, parasites display periodic stage-dependent gene expression." https://lnkd.in/erQdieM View in LinkedIn