Evolutionary implication of human endogenous retrovirus HERV-H family.
The human endogenous retrovirus (HERV-H) family is most abundant and widely distributed in the human genome, with about 100-1,000 full-length or deleted elements and a similar number of solitary, long-terminal repeats. The HERV-H env ORF has been characterized in humans and in the course of primate evolution, indicating the increased possibility of biological roles in humans. Using the polymerase chain reaction approach with a human monochromosomal DNA panel, 70 env fragments belonging to the HERV-H family from chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, X, and Y were identified and analyzed. They showed 82-99% sequence similarity to that of HERV-H (accession no. AF108843). We also identified other HERV-H env fragments in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases. The total of 120 fragments was evolutionarily analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the HERV-H env family is divided into one major and two minor groups. The HERV-H members have been actively proliferated and evolved by intra-chromosomal spread during hominid radiation.
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735, South Korea.
Joo-Mi
JM
Yi
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735, South Korea. khs307@pusan.ac.kr.
Heui-Soo
HS
Kim
D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D004247:DNA