Review of Literature - Introduction the viral relics in the
human genome. What they are and where they came from- - 8% of
the human genome is composed of retroviral relics. - It has been
estimated that the human genome contained roughly 31 different
families of virus. - Retroviruses replicate a DNA intermediate,
called a provirus, that becomes integrated in the host
organism’s genome. If such integration occurs in a cell that
gives rise to gametes, the retroviral insert DNA can be
inherited. - Some groups have been able to analyze retroviral
insertions, such as those originating from the Hepadnaviridae
family and determine the time at which the insertion occurred.
In their paper, Gilbert and Feschotte examined Hepadnaviridae
insertions within the zebra finch genome. - The determined that
the Hepadnaviridae insertion was at least 19 million years old.
- The Hepadnaviridae family is composed of small viruses with
genomes that are partially double stranded DNA. Hepatitis B
virus is within the Hepadnaviridae fami