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Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes: A Functional Genomics Tool for the Study of Positive-strand RNA Viruses
Published on: December 29, 2015
[Endogenous bornavirus elements in mammalian genome].
Masayuki Horie1, Keizo Tomonaga
1Department of Virology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University.
Uirusu
|April 15, 2011
Summary
Ancient retroviral elements comprise 8% of our genome. Recent discoveries reveal endogenous bornavirus elements in mammalian genomes, offering new evolutionary insights.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
Context:
- Endogenous retroviral elements constitute approximately 8% of the human genome, serving as a record of ancient retroviral infections.
- Historically, endogenous non-retroviral viruses were not believed to exist in animal genomes.
- Recent research has identified endogenous elements homologous to bornaviruses, a type of negative-strand RNA virus, within mammalian genomes.
Purpose:
- To review recent findings on endogenous bornavirus elements in mammalian genomes.
- To discuss the implications of endogenous non-retroviral viral elements in vertebrate genomes.
- To explore novel insights into host-virus interactions and genome evolution.
Summary:
- Discovery of endogenous bornavirus elements in numerous mammalian species, including humans.
- Demonstration that mammalian bornavirus mRNA can be reverse-transcribed and integrated into host genomic DNA.
- These findings challenge previous assumptions about endogenous non-retroviral viruses and highlight their role in genome novelty.
Impact:
- Provides novel insights into the evolutionary relationship between RNA viruses and their hosts.
- Elucidates mechanisms contributing to the gain of novelty within mammalian genomes.
- Expands our understanding of viral integration and persistence in vertebrate genomes.
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