retrotransposon-encoded reverse transcriptase in the genesis, progression and cellular plasticity of human cancerretrotransposon-encoded逆转录酶的起源、发展及人类癌症细胞的可塑性.pdfVIP

Cancers 2011, 3, 1141-1157; doi:10.3390/cancers3011141 OPEN ACCESS cancers ISSN 2072-6694 /journal/cancers Review Retrotransposon-Encoded Reverse Transcriptase in the Genesis, Progression and Cellular Plasticity of Human Cancer Paola Sinibaldi-Vallebona 1, Claudia Matteucci 1 and Corrado Spadafora 2,* 1 Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University ‘Tor Vergata’, Rome, Italy; E-Mails: sinibaldi-vallebona@med.uniroma2.it (P.S.-V.); matteucci@med.uniroma2.it (C.M.) 2 Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: cspadaf@tin.it; Tel.: +39-06-49-903-117; Fax: +39-06-49-903-672. Received: 11 January 2011; in revised form: 21 February 2011 / Accepted: 22 February 2011 / Published: 7 March 2011 Abstract: LINE-1 (Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements) and HERVs (Human Endogenous Retroviruses) are two families of autonomously replicating retrotransposons that together account for about 28% of the human genome. Genes harbored within LINE-1 and HERV retrotransposons, particularly those encoding the reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme, are generally expressed at low levels in differentiated cells, but their expression is upregulated in transformed cells and embryonic tissues. Here we discuss a recently discovered RT-dependent mechanism that operates in tumorigenesis and reversibly modulates phenotypic and functional variations associated w