Investigation of the expression of human endogenous retroviruses K and W in practitioners of physical exercises

• Grant number: 20/11619-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal researcher: Luiz Henrique da Silva Nali
• Grantee: Lucas Vinícius Morais
• Home Institution: Universidade de Santo Amaro (UNISA). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs) are ancestral viruses that have infected virtually all vertebrates, including humans. In the course of human evolution, Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) have undergone several mutational events and many have been silenced. Despite these events, HERVs have several important roles in human physiology. Among them is a regulation in the expression of genes adjacent to viral LTRs, and the fusogenic role of Syncytin (the protein encoded by a HERV) in the formation of syncytiotrophoblast during human embryogenesis. In addition, HERVs appear to play a role in the myogenesis of mammals, knockout animals for the HERV-W gene have less muscle mass than animals with the gene, it is worth mentioning that this fusogenic action of HERVS has also been observed in athletes of resistance. Due to the above, understanding whether HERVs can also stimulate a fusogenic role during other types of physical exercise also becomes plausible Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the levels of expression of some families of HERVs in practitioners and non-practitioners of physical exercise. strength after an acute strength training session. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, with volunteers who will be inserted in groups as follows: The volunteers who will perform strength training will be inserted in 2 groups High volume strength training group (GFAV) and low volume strength training group (GFBV), for these groups blood samples will be collected in three moments: before the session, immediately after the session and 30 minutes after the session. And the third group will be composed of healthy and sedentary individuals who have not performed strength training. The RNAm samples will be extracted, purified for the presence of contaminating genomic DNA, the cDNA will be constructed and the samples will be tested for HERV-K and W. The levels of expression between the groups will be evaluated by the 2-DDCt method, which determines how many times each individual expresses more or less based on the control groups, the significance of the difference in expression will be determined by the Wilcox method.(AU)