Endogenous Retrovirus Group W Member 1, Envelope
HERV-7q Envelope Protein
HERV-W-ENV
Syncytin-1
HERV-7q
Enverin
ERVWE1
HERVW
EnvW
Endogenous Retroviral Family W, Env(C7), Member 1
HERV-W_7q21.2 Provirus Ancestral Env Polyprotein
Endogenous Retrovirus Group W, Member 1
Endogenous Retrovirus Group W Member 1
HERV-Tryptophan Envelope Protein
Envelope Polyprotein GPr73
HERV-W Env Glycoprotein
HERV-W Envelope Protein
Envelope Glycoprotein
Syncytin
HERV-W
Human Endogenous Retrovirus W EnvC7-1 Envelope Protein
HERV-W{7q21.1} Provirus Ancestral Env Polyprotein
Envelope Protein
HERVWENV
HERV7Q
Env-W
ENV
Many different human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) families are expressed in normal placental tissue at high levels, suggesting that HERVs are functionally important in reproduction. This gene is part of an HERV provirus on chromosome 7 that has inactivating mutations in the gag and pol genes. This gene is the envelope glycoprotein gene which appears to have been selectively preserved. The gene's protein product is expressed in the placental syncytiotrophoblast and is involved in fusion of the cytotrophoblast cells to form the syncytial layer of the placenta. The protein has the characteristics of a typical retroviral envelope protein, including a furin cleavage site that separates the surface (SU) and transmembrane (TM) proteins which form a heterodimer. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2010]
Forensic Context
A scoping review of human twin studies found that the ERVW-1 exhibited increased mRNA and protein levels alongside decreased promoter DNA methylation in the smaller twins of birth weight discordant pairs (≥20%) [Dany Laure Wadji et al. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0315549].