title: Viral symbiosis and the holobiontic nature of the human genome.
abstract: The human genome is a holobiontic union of the mammalian nuclear genome, the mitochondrial genome and large numbers of endogenized retroviral genomes. This article defines and explores this symbiogenetic pattern of evolution, looking at the implications for human genetics, epigenetics, embryogenesis, physiology and the pathogenesis of inborn errors of metabolism and many other diseases.
authors.affiliation: The Academic Unit of Medical Education, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Francis Patrick
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015894:Genome, Human; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D012098:Reproduction; D013559:Symbiosis
keywords: Viral symbiosis; evolution of the human genome; holobiontic genome; human endogenous retroviruses; human genome