title: The Y chromosome: a graveyard for endogenous retroviruses.
abstract: We have isolated 20 different human endogenous retroviruses (ERV) related to ERV3, Hsrirt and Humer 4-1. Phylogeny and the presence of these ERV among different primates were determined by computer and Southern blot analyses. Preferential localization of ERV to the human, chimpanzee and orangutan Y chromosomes among the low-copy-number ERV is demonstrated. The reason for this accumulation of ERV on the strongly heterochromatic Y chromosome is probably mediated by (i) the absence of recombination of the Y chromosome that makes it more difficult for sequences to be lost, and (ii) integration of retroviruses in heterochromatic regions is less harmful to the organism. If ERV located on the Y chromosome are transcribed and translated to peptides, such peptides could be potential HY-antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Immunology, Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kjellman
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Sjögren
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Widegren
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006182:H-Y Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010802:Phylogeny; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus; D011323:Primates; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016662:Virus Integration / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006182:H-Y Antigen