Envelope glycoprotein gp70 (gp70)

Envelope glycoprotein gp70 is the surface (SU) subunit of the retroviral envelope (Env) protein, most notably characterized in Murine Leukemia Virus (MuLV) and various endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). It is responsible for the initial stage of viral infection by binding to specific host cell receptors, a process that triggers a conformational change in the associated transmembrane (TM) subunit to facilitate membrane fusion (UniProt P03385; PubMed: 2560751). In human pathology, gp70 is highly significant as an endogenous antigen; in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the production of gp70 and the subsequent formation of gp70-anti-gp70 immune complexes are major contributors to the development of severe glomerulonephritis (PubMed: 12140363). Additionally, gp70 is recognized as a tumor-associated antigen in certain malignancies, such as renal cell carcinoma, where silent endogenous retroviral sequences like HERV-E are reactivated and expressed on the cell surface. This expression makes gp70 a viable target for immunotherapeutic interventions, including monoclonal antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies designed to selectively eliminate gp70-positive cells (PubMed: 21149646).

Other names

Surface protein gp70SU proteinRetroviral envelope protein gp70Env gp70Endogenous retrovirus gp70

Neutralization of viral entry, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and clearance of immune complexes.