Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34158079›Full record

ArticleRetrovirology2021

Heterologous avian system for quantitative analysis of Syncytin-1 interaction with ASCT2 receptor.

Kryštof Štafl, Martin Trávníček, Dana Kučerová, Ľubomíra Pecnová, Veronika Krchlíková, Eliška Gáliková, Volodymyr Stepanets, Jiří Hejnar, Kateřina Trejbalová

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Retrovirology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Engineering Magnetic Beads for Affinity Enrichment of Exosomes.Computational and structural biotechnology journal · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Receptor usage of Syncytin-1: ASCT2, but not ASCT1, is a functional receptor and effector of cell fusion in the human placenta.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024
    Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Kryštof ŠtaflInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Martin TrávníčekInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Dana KučerováInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Ľubomíra PecnováInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Veronika KrchlíkováInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Eliška GálikováInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Volodymyr StepanetsInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
Jiří HejnarInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic. jiri.hejnar@img.cas.cz.
Kateřina TrejbalováInstitute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic. katerina.trejbalova@img.cas.cz.ORCID 0000-0002-9872-3041
Czech Academy of Sciences · CZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHuman Syncytin-1 is a placentally-expressed cell surface glycoprotein of retroviral origin. After interaction with ASCT2, its cellular receptor, Syncytin-1 triggers cell-cell fusion and formation of a multinuclear syncytiotrophoblast layer of the placenta. The ASCT2 receptor is a multi-spanning membrane protein containing a protruding extracellular part called region C, which has been suggested to be a retrovirus docking site. Precise identification of the interaction site between ASCT2 and Syncytin-1 is challenging due to the complex structure of ASCT2 protein and the background of endogenous ASCT2 gene in the mammalian genome. Chicken cells lack the endogenous background and, therefore, can be used to set up a system with surrogate expression of the ASCT2 receptor.

resultsWe have established a retroviral heterologous chicken system for rapid and reliable assessment of ectopic human ASCT2 protein expression. Our dual-fluorescence system proved successful for large-scale screening of mutant ASCT2 proteins. Using this system, we demonstrated that progressive deletion of region C substantially decreased the amount of ASCT2 protein. In addition, we implemented quantitative assays to determine the interaction of ASCT2 with Syncytin-1 at multiple levels, which included binding of the soluble form of Syncytin-1 to ASCT2 on the cell surface and a luciferase-based assay to evaluate cell-cell fusions that were triggered by Syncytin-1. Finally, we restored the envelope function of Syncytin-1 in a replication-competent retrovirus and assessed the infection of chicken cells expressing human ASCT2 by chimeric Syncytin-1-enveloped virus. The results of the quantitative assays showed that deletion of the protruding region C did not abolish the interaction of ASCT2 with Syncytin-1.

conclusionsWe present here a heterologous chicken system for effective assessment of the expression of transmembrane ASCT2 protein and its interaction with Syncytin-1. The system profits from the absence of endogenous ASCT2 background and implements the quantitative assays to determine the ASCT2-Syncytin-1 interaction at several levels. Using this system, we demonstrated that the protruding region C was essential for ASCT2 protein expression, but surprisingly, not for the interaction with Syncytin-1 glycoprotein.

Indexed as

Amino Acid Transport System ASCAnimalsCell LineChickensFemaleFibroblastsFluorescenceGene Products, envHumansMicroscopy, ConfocalMinor Histocompatibility AntigensPlacentaPregnancyPregnancy ProteinsAmino Acid Transport System ASCGene Products, envMinor Histocompatibility AntigensPregnancy ProteinsSLC1A5 protein, humansyncytinASCT2 (SLC1A5)Cell–cell fusionEnvelope glycoproteinEnvelope-receptor interactionNanoLuc luciferaseRetroviral receptorSyncytin-1

Identifiers

PMID34158079
PMCPMC8220723
OpenAlexW3135727454

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.