ERVs support Intelligent Design and Creation
Excerpts: "Long disregarded as junk DNA or genomic dark matter, endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) have turned out to represent important components of the antiviral immune response. These remnants of once-infectious retroviruses not only regulate cellular immune activation, but may even directly target invading viral pathogens. In this Gem, we summarize mechanisms by which retroviral fossils protect us from viral infections. One focus will be on recent advances in the role of ERVs as regulators of antiviral gene expression."
- ERV-derived nucleic acids trigger innate sensing cascades.
- ERV-derived lncrnas regulate antiviral immune responses.
- Endogenous retroviral proteins modulate immune activation.
- Endogenous retroviral envelope proteins block virus entry receptors.
- ERV proteins complement virions in a dominant negative manner.
- ERV proteins interfere with incoming viral particles.
- Repetitive ERV elements increase plasticity of immunity genes.
- ERV-Derived promoters and enhancers regulate antiviral gene expression.
Cells contain an in-built reverse trancriptase mechanism, by which they are able to store viral RNA sequences by converting them into DNA.
Excerpt: "Cells contain machinery that duplicates DNA into a new set that goes into a newly formed cell. That same class of machines, called polymerases, also build RNA messages, which are like notes copied from the central DNA repository of recipes, so they can be read more efficiently into proteins. But polymerases were thought to only work in one direction DNA into DNA or RNA. This prevents RNA messages from being rewritten back into the master recipe book of genomic DNA. Now, Thomas Jefferson University researchers provide evidence that RNA segments can be written back into DNA via a polymerase called theta, which could have wide implications affecting many fields of biology.
"This work opens the door to many other studies that will help us understand the significance of polymerases that can write RNA messages into DNA," says Richard Pomerantz, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Thomas Jefferson University. "That polymerase theta can do this with high efficiency, raises many questions." For example, this finding suggests that RNA messages can be used as templates for repairing or re-writing genomic DNA...."Our research suggests that polymerase theta's main function is to act as a reverse transcriptase," says Dr. Pomerantz."
Summary and conclusions:
- So called endogenous retroviruses are no genomic junk. There is no junk-DNA.
- ERV derived molecules and proteins play a significant role for the innate immune system.
- Endogenous Retroviruses Protect Us from Viral Infections
- The cell contains designed mechanisms by which it is able to store (record) viral RNA sequences.
- Endogenous retroviruses support Intelligent Design and Creation.
