Syncytin-1
Syncytin-1 also known as enverin is a protein found in humans and other primates that is encoded by the ERVW-1 gene (endogenous retrovirus group W envelope member 1). Syncytin-1 is a cell-cell fusion protein whose function is best characterized in placental development. The placenta in turn aids in embryo attachment to the uterus and establishment of a nutrient supply.
| ERVW-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Aliases | ERVW-1, ENV, ENVW, ERVWE1, HERV-7q, HERV-W-ENV, HERV7Q, HERVW, HERVWENV, endogenous retrovirus group W member 1, endogenous retrovirus group W member 1, envelope | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| External IDs | OMIM: 604659 HomoloGene: 137309 GeneCards: ERVW-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The gene encoding this protein is an endogenous retroviral element that is the remnant of an ancient retroviral infection integrated into the primate germ line. In the case of syncytin-1 (which is found in humans, apes, and Old World but not New World monkeys), this integration likely occurred more than 25 million years ago. Syncytin-1 is one of two known syncytin proteins expressed in catarrhini primates (the other being syncytin-2) and one of many viral genomes incorporated on multiple occasions over evolutionary time in diverse mammalian species.
ERVW-1 is located within ERVWE1, a full length provirus on chromosome 7 at locus 7q21.2 flanked by long terminal repeats (LTRs) and is preceded by ERVW1 gag (Group AntiGen) and pol (POLymerase) within the provirus, both of which contain nonsense mutations rendering them non-coding.
Syncytin-1 is also implicated in a number of neurological pathologies, most notably, multiple sclerosis, as an immunogen.