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Retroviruses Found Embedded In Human DNA Hold Key To Ancient Epidemics

IMAGE VIA PIXABAY

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers documented the recent discovery of retroviruses embedded in human DNA. That’s right, human DNA is not entirely human. Using genomes sequenced by the 1000 Genomes project and using some sets of sequenced genomes from The Human Genome Diversity Project, scientists analyzed 36 human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) from 2,500 genomes. These viruses embedded parts of their DNA sequence in human DNA long, long ago.

Of these 36 retroviruses scientists discovered 19 newly placed sequences of retroviruses (loci) and found one fully intact sequence. Three new HERVs embedded in human DNA were also discovered. It is currently unknown whether or not these viruses play any role in modern illnesses that impact humans.

Despite the ambiguity surrounding their presence in human DNA, HERVs are identified in tissue related to cancers, autoimmune diseases and in people with HIV. According to the study, there is a strong possibility of these embedded sequences playing a role in these illnesses, but it has yet to be proven.

In a press release, the University of Michigan Health System reported that the fully intact sequence of retrovirus DNA discovered was found in approximately 50 of the samples studied. A fully intact sequence is a sequence that contains the entire genetic code for an organism – in this case, a virus. Scientists do not know whether or not this fully intact sequence of virus DNA can replicate or reproduce.

These sequences of viruses were embedded in human DNA hundreds of thousands of years ago when viruses initially infected our ancestors.

In order to find out the type of role, if any, that these genetic sequences of viruses play in modern human illnesses, scientists must first locate them on the human DNA sequence. These sequences of viruses were embedded in human DNA hundreds of thousands of years ago when viruses initially infected our ancestors. The senior author of the study, John Coffin, stated that should the completed virus sequence found be “capable of making infectious virus…it would allow us to study a viral epidemic that took place long ago.”

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