Examination of a Newly Discovered human Retrovirus, XMRV, in Breast Cancer
Abstract
The main objective of this research project is to test the hypothesis that a newly discovered retrovirus, XMRV, is involved in the development of human breast cancer. To accomplish this, we have examined XMRV infection in breast cancer tissue in comparison with normal breast tissue. Assay conditions for the detection of XMRV protein in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FF-PE) sections by immunohistochemistry (IHC) were optimized by the identification of a monoclonal antibody (mAb 83A25) that is at least four-fold more sensitive than other antibodies used in previous studies. For this purpose we produced a cell line that expresses infectious XMRV virus by starting with plasmid DNA for the cloned XMRV genome. This cell line was also used as positive control for IHC tissue analysis. Our IHC analysis of de-identified FF-PE specimens for 28 breast cancer samples and 5 normal breast tissues have indicated that 20% of breast cancer and none of the normal breast samples express a cellular protein that is detectable with mAb 83A25, which reacts with various murine gammaretroviral envelope (Env) proteins. An amino acid search of the human genome for proteins that are closely related to these Envs identified eight different class I human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) with sequence identities ranging from 43 to 51%. These observations suggest that the cellular protein that we have detected is a class I HERV Env, which may be associated with breast cancer. Our studies have resulted in the detection of a potentially novel breast cancer-associated protein.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA567641
Entities
People
- Fayth K. Yoshimura
Organizations
- Wayne State University