Decoding the Prefusion Structure of HERV-K Env Spike Complex

Swift Summary

• Retroviruses can integrate thier genomes into host DNA, and when this occurs in germline cells, the genetic material can be inherited by offspring.
• Human Endogenous Retrovirus K (HERV-K) is one such retrovirus that became part of the human genome through this process.
• The study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 122, Issue 28, July 2025.

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Indian Opinion Analysis
Retroviruses like HERV-K have a critically important scientific importance as they reveal essential aspects of evolutionary biology and how external genetic factors become internalized within human DNA over time. Understanding these mechanisms could possibly aid research in genomics and hereditary diseases in India, where genome research is an emerging field with societal health implications. This area could serve as a springboard for deeper studies on how such integrations have shaped not only global populations but also India’s diverse gene pool.