Abstract
Reverse-transcribed RNA molecules compose a significant
portion of the human genome. Many of these RNA molecules
were retrovirus genomes either infecting germline cells or
having done so in a previous generation but retaining
transcriptional activity. This mechanism itself accounts for a
quarter of the genomic sequence information of mammals for
which there is data. We understand relatively little about the
causes and consequences of retroviral endogenization. This
review highlights functions ascribed to sequences of viral origin
endogenized into mammalian genomes and suggests some of
the most pressing questions raised by these observations.
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