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Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are endogenous viral elements in the genome that closely resemble and can be derived from retroviruses. They are abundant in the genomes of jawed vertebrates , and they comprise up to 5–8% of the human genome (lower estimates of ~1%).
Human Endogenous Retrovirus-W (HERV-W) is a family of Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs). HERVs are part of a superfamily of repetitive and transposable elements . Transposable elements are sequences of DNA that can move or "jump" around the genome, sometimes replicating and inserting themselves in different locations.
A retrovirus is a type of virus that inserts a DNA copy of its RNA genome into the DNA of a host cell that it invades, thus changing the genome of that cell. [2] After invading a host cell's cytoplasm, the virus uses its own reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome, the reverse of the usual pattern, thus retro (backward).
The human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) was inherited million years ago by the genome of the human ancestors. [18] In 1999 Barbulescu, et al. showed that, of ten HERV-K proviruses cloned, eight were unique to humans, while one was shared with chimpanzees and bonobos, and one with chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. [19]
An endogenous retrovirus is a retrovirus without virus pathogenic effects that has been integrated into the host genome by inserting their inheritable genetic information into cells that can be passed onto the next generation like a retrotransposon. [8] Because of this, they share features with retroviruses and retrotransposons.
Endogenous retroviruses and other EVEs that occur as proviruses can potentially remain capable of producing infectious virus in their endogenous state. Replication of such 'active' endogenous viruses can lead to the proliferation of viral insertions in the germline.
The human genome includes many retroelements including the human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which compose about 7-8% of the human genome. [5] ERV3, one of the most studied HERVs, is thought to have integrated 30 to 40 million years ago and is present in higher primates with the exception of gorillas.
Syncytin-1 also known as enverin is a protein found in humans and other primates that is encoded by the ERVW-1 gene (endogenous retrovirus group W envelope member 1). Syncytin-1 is a cell-cell fusion protein whose function is best characterized in placental development.