Protein Structure-Guided Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) as A Powerful Method in the Detection of Ancestral Endogenous Viral Elements.

ABSTRACT: It has been believed for a long time that the transfer and fixation of genetic material from RNA viruses to eukaryote genomes is very unlikely. However, during the last decade, there have been several cases in which "virus-to-host" gene transfer from various viral families into various eukaryotic phyla have been described. These transfers have been identified by sequence similarity, which may disappear very quickly, especially in the case of RNA viruses. However, compared to sequences, protein structure is known to be more conserved. Applying protein structure-guided protein domain-specific Hidden Markov Models, we detected homologues of the Virgaviridae capsid protein in Schizophora flies. Further data analysis supported "virus-to-host" transfer into Schizophora ancestors as a single tran

SUBMITTER: Kirsip H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6520822 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature