Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Warner BE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6166632 | biostudies-literature | 2018
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Warner Benjamin E BE Ballinger Matthew J MJ Yerramsetty Pradeep P Reed Jennifer J Taylor Derek J DJ Smith Thomas J TJ Bruenn Jeremy A JA
PeerJ 20180928
DNA copies of many non-retroviral RNA virus genes or portions thereof (NIRVs) are present in the nuclear genomes of many eukaryotes. These have often been preserved for millions of years of evolution, suggesting that they play an important cellular function. One possible function is resistance to infection by related viruses. In some cases, this appears to occur through the piRNA system, but in others by way of counterfeit viral proteins encoded by NIRVs. In the fungi, NIRVs may be as long as 1, ...[more]