Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40864726›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) envelope structures in pre- and postfusion by cryo-EM.

Jeremy Shek, Chen Sun, Elise M Wilson, Fatemeh Moadab, Kathryn M Hastie, Roshan R Rajamanickam, Patrick J Penalosa, Stephanie S Harkins, Diptiben Parekh, Chitra Hariharan and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

17 authors.

Jeremy ShekCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5419-060X
Chen SunCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7469-2052
Elise M WilsonCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0663-906X
Fatemeh MoadabDivision of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.ORCID 0009-0005-9942-9441
Kathryn M HastieCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3406-1210
Roshan R RajamanickamCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Patrick J PenalosaCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Stephanie S HarkinsCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7825-4025
Diptiben ParekhCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1972-9462
Chitra HariharanCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8686-7574
Dawid S ZylaCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8471-469X
Cassandra YuCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Kelly C L ShafferCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6212-1428
Victoria I LewisDept. of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Ruben Diaz AvalosCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3209-7153
Tomas MustelinDivision of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Erica Ollmann SaphireCenter for Vaccine Innovation, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1206-7451

Funding

Role of the L1 retrotransposon in interferon-positive SLER01AR081654 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI Tomas M Mustelin · 2023 to 2026
$2.1M
Role of protein citrullination in rheumatoid arthritisR01AR074939 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MUSTELIN, TOMAS M · 2020 to 2024
$1.9M
Alternative splicing and expression of transposable elements in aging skeletal muscleR21AG087517 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MUSTELIN, TOMAS M · 2024 to 2024
$485k
Altered protein structures and neoepitopes in lupus neutrophils from dysregulated splicing of messenger RNAR21AI183320 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI Tomas M Mustelin · 2025 to 2026
$477k
HERV-K immunity, a trigger of citrullination in rheumatoid arthritis?R21AR077266 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI MUSTELIN, TOMAS M · 2021 to 2022
$425k
NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI183320NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR074939NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR081654NIAMS NIH HHS R21 AR077266NIA NIH HHS R21 AG087517
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancient infections that comprise ~8% of the human genome. The HERV-K envelope glycoprotein (Env) is aberrantly expressed in cancers, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, and is targeted by patients' own antibodies. However, a lack of structural information has limited molecular and immunological studies of the roles of HERVs in disease. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of stabilized HERV-K Env in the prefusion conformation, revealing a distinct fold and architecture compared to HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus. We also generated and characterized a panel of monoclonal antibodies with subunit and conformational specificity, serving as valuable research tools. These antibodies enabled structure determination of the postfusion conformation of HERV-K Env, including its unique "tether" helix, and antibody-bound prefusion Env. Together, these results provide a structural framework that opens the door to mechanistic studies of HERV-K Env and tools for its evaluation as a potential therapeutic target.

Indexed as

Cryoelectron MicroscopyEndogenous RetrovirusesGene Products, envViral EnvelopeViral Envelope ProteinsAntibodies, MonoclonalHumansModels, MolecularProtein ConformationAntibodies, MonoclonalGene Products, envViral Envelope Proteins

Identifiers

PMID40864726
PMCPMC12383274

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.