suppressyn; endogenous retrovirus group 48 member 1; NDUFV3 antisense RNA 1; endogenous retrovirus group Fb member 1 (ERVH48-1, C21orf105, HERV-Fb1, NDUFV3-AS1)

Function

• may play a role in trophoblasts syncytialization, the spontaneous fusion of their plasma membranes, an essential process in placental development
• may negatively regulate cell-cell fusion by interacting with SLC1A5, the probable receptor on the cell surface of the fusogenic syncytin-1/ERVW-1
• interacts (secreted) with SLC1A5; mainly at cell surface

Compartment

• secreted
• also found in cell lysates

Expression

• specifically expressed in placenta by extravillous trophoblasts & syncytiotrophoblasts

Genetics

• the human genome contains a high percentage of proviral-like elements, also called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that are the genomic traces of ancient infections of the germline by exogenous retroviruses
• although most of these elements are defective, some have conserved a functional envelope (env) gene, most probably diverted by the host for its benefit

More general terms

• secreted protein
• endogenous retroviral protein

Database

• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/M5A8F1.html