2 ms·

I'd really like to see what happens when we eliminate HERVs (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1187282/#:~:text=Human%20endogenous%20retroviruses%20(

I'd really like to see what happens when we eliminate HERVs (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1187282/#:~:text=Human%20endogenous%20retroviruses%20(HERVs)%20represent,generations%20in%20a%20Mendelian%20manner https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1187282/#:~:tex....) from our genome.

garmaine 6y ago
It'd kill us. There are vital parts of our genome that come from such viruses. The placenta, for example, forms its host-compatible interface layer with the mother's uterus using a virus-derived protein. So it is believed that all live-birth mammals derive from an animal that accidentally incorporated viral DNA into its genome.