Endogenous Retroviruses: Contribution to Human Evolution and Physiopathology
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Evolutionary Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 6667
Special Issue Editors
Interests: endogenous retroviruses; HERV expression in health and diseases; antiviral immune response; transcriptomics
Interests: virology; microbiology; antiviral drugs; drug development; endogenous retroviruses; innate immunity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: ecology and evolution of viruses; viral genomics; paleovirology; bioinformatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
A growing body of evidence indicates that evolutionary interaction with endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) has played a fundamental role in shaping mammalian evolution. For example, ERV-derived proteins and regulatory sequences have been shown to play a pivotal role in mammalian development. Furthermore, several lines of evidence support a role for ERVs in the evolution of antiviral immune responses. For example, ERV-derived sequences have been shown to play a role in regulating interferon responses. Intriguingly, viral infection can trigger the expression of otherwise silenced ERV loci, suggesting that ERVs might serve as strategic orchestrators of host antiviral defenses.
ERVs are also considered possible drivers of some of pathological conditions, primarily cancer and autoimmune disorders. In particular, it is likely that the loss of balance between the control of ERV expression and its domestication to the host physiology (e.g., in disorders characterized by immune and epigenetics dysregulation) can contribute to complex diseases.
The post-genomic era provides unprecedented possibilities to investigate ERV contribution to mammalian development and physiopathology. Unfortunately, however, ERV research remains fraught with misconceptions and challenged by complications in dealing with highly repetitive sequences.
This Special Issue aims to provide an updated survey of ERV interplay with the host biology, with particular attention to clarifying fundamental misconceptions and outlining current controversies regarding the evolutionary origins of ERVs in the human genome and their possible contributions to human evolution and pathogenesis.
Dr. Nicole Grandi
Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano
Dr. Robert Gifford
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- endogenous retroviruses
- ERV
- transposable elements
- evolution
- cancer
- autoimmunity
- epigenetics
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