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Related Concept Videos

Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

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Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
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Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
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Retroviruses and retrotransposons both insert copies of their genetic elements into the genome of the host cell. Thus, the viral genes are passed on when the host genome is replicated or translated. A typical retroviral DNA sequence contains 3-4 genes that encode the different proteins required for its structural assembly and function as a molecular parasite. This DNA is transcribed into a single mRNA, which is very similar in structure to conventional mRNAs, i.e., it is capped at the 5’...
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Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
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LTR retrotransposons are class I transposable elements with long terminal repeats flanking an internal coding region. These elements are less abundant in mammals compared to other class I transposable elements. About 8 percent of human genomic DNA comprises LTR retrotransposons. Some of the common examples of LTR retrotransposons are Ty elements in yeast and Copia elements in Drosophila.
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Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the...
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Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
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Endogenous viral elements in animal genomes.

Aris Katzourakis1, Robert J Gifford

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. rgifford@adarc.org

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Scientists discovered ancient viral DNA integrated into animal genomes from diverse virus families, not just retroviruses. This finding expands our understanding of viral evolution and gene transfer to animals.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleovirology
  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Germline integration of retroviral genes is known, leading to vertical inheritance.
  • Integration of other viral types into germlines is rare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically screen animal genomes for endogenous viral elements (EVEs) from non-retroviral families.
  • To investigate the evolutionary history and scope of viral gene transfer into animal genomes.

Main Methods:

  • In silico screening of animal genomes.
  • Phylogenetic and genomic analysis of identified EVEs.
  • Analysis of EVE expression and potential exaptation.

Main Results:

  • Identified EVEs from ten non-retroviral families, including the first endogenous double-stranded RNA, reverse-transcribing DNA, segmented RNA, and mammalian DNA viruses.
  • Phylogenetic analysis provided insights into the origin and evolution of diverse virus groups.
  • Found evidence of intact open reading frames, mRNA expression, and exaptation in some EVEs.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic material from all known viral genome types can enter the animal germline.
  • This significantly broadens the scope of paleovirology.
  • Highlights a more substantial evolutionary role for virus-to-genome gene flow than previously understood.