Viruses can be inherited through the germline
Multiple genomic and paleovirological studies confirm that viruses can integrate into host germlines and be vertically inherited across generations.
The retrieved papers overwhelmingly demonstrate that various types of viruses and viral elements can integrate into host germlines and undergo vertical inheritance, forming endogenous viral elements found across diverse animal genomes.
Thézé J, Leclercq S, Moumen B, Cordaux R, Gilbert C. Remarkable diversity of endogenous viruses in a crustacean genome.. 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evu163
Paper 0 discusses how viral genomes integrate into the host germline genome, leading to vertical inheritance.
See more details
Aswad A, Aimola G, Wight D, Roychoudhury P, Zimmermann C, Hill J, Lassner D, Xie H, Huang ML, Parrish NF, Schultheiss HP, Venturini C, Lager S, Smith GCS, Charnock-Jones DS, Breuer J, Greninger AL, Kaufer BB. Evolutionary History of Endogenous Human Herpesvirus 6 Reflects Human Migration out of Africa.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa190
Paper 1 explains that human herpesvirus 6 can integrate into the germline and be vertically inherited.
Kawasaki J, Kojima S, Mukai Y, Tomonaga K, Horie M. 100-My history of bornavirus infections hidden in vertebrate genomes.. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026235118
Paper 2 details endogenous bornavirus-like elements that resulted from viral insertions into animal germline genomes.
Li Y, Bletsa M, Zisi Z, Boonen I, Gryseels S, Kafetzopoulou L, Webster JP, Catalano S, Pybus OG, Van de Perre F, Li H, Li Y, Li Y, Abramov A, Lymberakis P, Lemey P, Lequime S. Endogenous Viral Elements in Shrew Genomes Provide Insights into Pestivirus Ancient History.. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac190
Paper 3 identifies endogenous viral elements in mammalian genomes as historical proof of germline viral integration.
Mukai Y, Horie M, Tomonaga K. Systematic estimation of insertion dates of endogenous bornavirus-like elements in vesper bats.. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.18-0211
Paper 5 notes that endogenous bornavirus-like elements are formed through germline insertions.
Etienne L, Emerman M. The mongoose, the pheasant, the pox, and the retrovirus.. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001641
Paper 6 describes the detection of ancient viruses via accidental insertion into the germline of animal species.
van der Kuyl AC. Gammaretrovirus Infections in Humans in the Past, Present, and Future: Have We Defeated the Pathogen?. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010104
Paper 7 notes the propensity of gammaretroviruses to target the germline, leaving evidence in vertebrate genomes.
Jiang R, Zhou J, Liu Y, Zhou G, Fan D, Xiang L, Chen Y, Shao J. Endogenous Retroviruses in Host-Virus Coevolution: From Genomic Domestication to Functional Innovation.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16080964
Paper 8 defines endogenous retroviruses as remnants of infections stably integrated into host germline genomes.
Kai Otsuka, Akihiko Sakashita, So Maezawa, Richard M. Schultz, Satoshi H. Namekawa. KRAB-zinc-finger proteins regulate endogenous retroviruses to sculpt germline transcriptomes and genome evolution. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.24.546405
Paper 11 discusses endogenous retroviruses as transposable elements coevolving within host germline genomes.
The paper trail · every fact has a biography
Challenge the receipt
Citation formatting by citeproc-js (Frank Bennett) and the Citation Style Language project. Source and licenses.
Terms · Privacy · How verdicts work · Dispute this receipt