Recent studies have uncovered myriad viral sequences that are integrated
or'endogenized'in the genomes of various eukaryotes. Surprisingly, it appears that not just …

For millions of years, retroviral infections have challenged vertebrates, occasionally leading
to germline integration and inheritance as ERVs, genetic parasites whose remnants today …

Integration into the nuclear genome of germ line cells can lead to vertical inheritance of
retroviral genes as host alleles. For other viruses, germ line integration has only rarely been …

The domestication of livestock represented a crucial step in human history. By using
endogenous retroviruses as genetic markers, we found that sheep differentiated on the …

Microvesicles and exosomes are nanoparticles released from cells and can contain small
RNAs, mRNA and proteins that affect cells at distant sites. In sheep, endogenous beta …

Retroviruses that have the ability to infect germ line cells can become an integral and
inherited part of the host genome. About 8% of the human chromosomal DNA consists of …

Endogenous retroviruses are a common component of the eukaryotic genome, and their
evolution and potential function have attracted considerable interest. More surprising was …

Evolutionary conflicts involving mimicry are found throughout nature. Diverse pathogens
produce a range of'mimics' that resemble host components in both form and function. Such …

Viruses infect all forms of life and play critical roles as agents of disease, drivers of
biochemical cycles and sources of genetic diversity for their hosts. Our understanding of viral …

Long disregarded as junk DNA or genomic dark matter, endogenous retroviruses (ERVs)
have turned out to represent important components of the antiviral immune response. These …