Antiviral activity of the human endogenous retrovirus‐R envelope protein against SARS‐CoV‐2.

Coronavirus‐induced disease‐19 (COVID‐19), caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, is still a major global health challenge. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) represent retroviral elements that were integrated into the ancestral human genome. HERVs are important in embryonic development as well as in the manifestation of diseases, including cancer, inflammation, and viral infections. Here, we analyze the expression of several HERVs in SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected cells and observe increased activity of HERV‐E, HERV‐V, HERV‐FRD, HERV‐MER34, HERV‐W, and HERV‐K‐HML2. In contrast, the HERV‐R envelope is downregulated in cell‐based models and PBMCs of COVID‐19 patients. Overexpression of HERV‐R inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 replication, suggesting its antiviral activity. Further analyses demonstrate the role of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) in regulating HERV‐R antiviral activity. Lastly, our data indicate that the crosstalk between ERK and p38 MAPK controls the synthesis of the HERV‐R envelope protein, which in turn modulates SARS‐CoV‐2 replication. These findings suggest the role of the HERV‐R envelope as a prosurvival host factor against SARS‐CoV‐2 and illustrate a possible advantage of integration and evolutionary maintenance of retroviral elements in the human genome. Synopsis: HERV‐R‐Env (envelope) levels are reduced upon SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in cell‐based models and COVID‐19 patient samples. HERV‐R‐Env inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 replication, suggesting its antiviral function, which is mediated by the ERK pathway. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection reduces HERV‐R‐Env levels.HERV‐R‐Env inhibits SARS‐CoV‐2 replication.The HERV‐R‐Env antiviral function against SARS‐CoV‐2 is mediated by activation of the ERK pathway.SARS‐CoV‐2 antagonizes the antiviral function of HERV‐R‐Env by upregulating the p38 MAPK activity and concomitantly downregulating the ERK activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]