The Hakubi Project

Virus-derived sequences are present in the genomes of eukaryotes. These sequences have been generated by insertions of (partial) viral genomes into the genomic DNAs of hosts’ germline cells. Thus, the sequences are considered as “molecular fossils” of viruses, which can be clues to investigate the presence of ancient viruses, their hosts and their genetic information. Additionally, some virus-derived genes have important roles in their hosts, which have provided interesting insights into the co-evolution between viruses and their hosts. In this seminar, I would like to introduce my researches on bornaviruses, which are RNA viruses, and bornavirus-derived sequences in the genomes of several mammals.