Cell Fusion Induced by ERVWE1 or Measles Virus Causes Cellular Senescence

Overview

Journal Genes Dev

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2013 Nov 5

PMID 24186980

Citations 105

Authors

Anna Chuprin

Hilah Gal

Tal Biron-Shental

Anat Biran

Aliza Amiel

Shmuel Rozenblatt

Valery Krizhanovsky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cellular senescence limits proliferation of potentially detrimental cells, preventing tumorigenesis and restricting tissue damage. However, the function of senescence in nonpathological conditions is unknown. We found that the human placental syncytiotrophoblast exhibited the phenotype and expressed molecular markers of cellular senescence. During embryonic development, ERVWE1-mediated cell fusion results in formation of the syncytiotrophoblast, which serves as the maternal/fetal interface at the placenta. Expression of ERVWE1 caused cell fusion in normal and cancer cells, leading to formation of hyperploid syncytia exhibiting features of cellular senescence. Infection by the measles virus, which leads to cell fusion, also induced cellular senescence in normal and cancer cells. The fused cells activated the main molecular pathways of senescence, the p53- and p16-pRb-dependent pathways; the senescence-associated secretory phenotype; and immune surveillance-related proteins. Thus, fusion-induced senescence might be needed for proper syncytiotrophoblast function during embryonic development, and reuse of this senescence program later in life protects against pathological expression of endogenous fusogens and fusogenic viral infections.

Citing Articles

Placental trophoblast aging in advanced maternal age is related to increased oxidative damage and decreased YAP.

Guo S, Pan Q, Chen B, Huang Y, Li S, Gou C Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025; 13:1479960.

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Characterization of senescence-associated transcripts in the human placenta.

Barak O, Bauer A, Parks W, Lovelace T, Benos P, Chu T Placenta. 2025; 161:31-38.

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Trophoblast fusion in fetal growth restriction is inhibited by CTGF in a cell-cycle-dependent manner.

Liu K, Wu S, Cui Y, Tao X, Li Y, Xiao X J Mol Histol. 2024; 55(5):895-908.

PMID: 39122896 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-024-10239-9.

How Much Do You Fuse? A Comparison of Cell Fusion Assays in a Breast Cancer Model.

Sieler M, Dornen J, Dittmar T Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(11).

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