IFITM1 suppresses expression of human endogenous retroviruses in human embryonic stem cells

Interferon‐induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1), a member of the IFITM protein family, is a component of a multimeric complex involved in the transduction of antiproliferation and cell adhesion signals. IFITM1 is thought to play a role in antiproliferation and immune surveillance, and has been shown to restrict infection by numerous viruses. It is highly expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) but its role in hESCs remains to be elucidated. In this study, knockout of IFITM1 mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in hESCs did not affect self‐renewal, pluripotency, telomerase activity or telomeres. However expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) was higher than in wild‐type hESCs, and there was also a reduced level of trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 at HERV loci. These data show that IFITM1 suppresses HERVs in hESCs by regulating epigenetic modifications. Interferon‐induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) is highly expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Knockout of IFITM1 by CRISPR/Cas9 in hESCs did not affect self‐renewal, pluripotency, telomerase activity or telomeres but did lead to up‐regulation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and a reduced level of histone H3 methylation at HERV loci. These results suggest that IFITM1 suppresses HERVs in hESCs by epigenetic modifications.