ancient viruses

[Patrick O'Neil]

On Thu, 2 Mar 1995 s14840mz at umassd.edu wrote:

> I'd like to know the reference for the ancient virus endogenous to both
> chimpanzees and humans (also, found on the same chromosome).
> 
> 
> Thanks in Advance,
> Miguel

Ok, I have the reference.  I can say that I erred in my post stating that 
it was from _The Molecular Biology of the Gene_.  It actually resides in 
_Virology_, Second Edition, edited by B.N. Fields, chapter 51, pg 1486.  
The passage reads,"If individuals who lack active proviruses (humans or 
quail, for example) are tested for more distantly related sequences by 
nucleic acid hybridization techniques, it is usually easy to find many 
such elements."  Later in the same paragraph, "Often, the two LTRs have 
diverged somewhat in sequence; this is a sure sign of long residence in 
the germline, as is the presence of the same elements in the same 
location in human and chimpanzees."  And, "These elements are clearly 
defective proviruses, not some other sort of element."

The reference sited by the author for the human/chimpanzee item:  

Steele PE, Martin MA, Rabson AB, Bryan T, O'Brian SJ.  Amplification and 
chromosomal dispersion of human endogenous retroviral sequences.  Journ. 
Virol. (1986), 59:545-550.

Patrick