Human endogenous retrovirus HERV-W family: chromosomal localization, identification, and phylogeny.
A new human endogenous retroviral family (HERV-W) has been described that is related to multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus sequences that have been identified in particles recovered from monocyte cultures from patients with multiple sclerosis. Using the polymerase chain reaction approach with a human monochromosomal somatic cell hybrid DNA panel, 15 env fragments of the HERV-W family from chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 17, 20, and X were identified and analyzed. These env fragments showed a high degree of nucleotide sequence similarity (91.6-99.6%) to that of HERV-W. Translation of the env fragments showed no frameshift and termination codons by deletion/insertion or point mutation in some clones (W-1-1, W-3-8, W-4-1, W-7-1, W-14-1, W-17-5, W-20-9, and W-X-3). Phylogenetic analysis of the HERV-W family indicates that the HERV-W env fragments divided into five groups through evolutionary divergence in the primate genome. In group IV, a clone (W-12-2) on chromosome 12 shared 100% sequence identity with a clone (W-17-5) on chromosome 17, suggesting either a retrotransposition or a chromosomal translocation in the last 2 to 5 million years.
Kim
H S
HS
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan 609-735, South Korea. khs307@hyowon.cc.pusan.ac.kr
Lee
W H
WH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA