Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites
Published on: March 22, 2016
Endogenous Retroviruses in Host-Virus Coevolution: From Genomic Domestication to Functional Innovation
Ruqi Jiang1, Jingjun Zhou1, Yue Liu1
1Key Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Intelligent Design and Development of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
None:
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of retroviral infections that have become stably integrated into host germline genomes. Far beyond passive genomic elements, ERVs actively shape host evolution through complex mechanisms involving genetic innovation, immune modulation, and species adaptation. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of ERV biology, highlighting recent advances in their classification, amplification mechanisms, and epigenetic silencing. Particular emphasis is placed on the cross-talk between ERVs and exogenous retroviruses (XRVs), demonstrating how receptor competition, recombination, and immune evasion contribute to virus-host co-evolution. We explore ERVs as molecular markers for phylogenetic reconstruction, with case studies such as Koala retrovirus (KoRV) and HERV-K illustrating regional transmission dynamics and co-opted immune functions. Additionally, we discuss the functional domestication of ERVs into regulatory elements, non-coding RNAs, and envelope-derived fusion proteins that influence gene expression, antiviral defense, and placental development.
More Related Videos
11:12Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm
Published on: April 12, 2017
07:28Identification of Functionally-Relevant Lentivirus Integration Sites in an Insertional Mutagenesis Cell Library
Published on: January 10, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Retroviruses
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Viral Mutations
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes