Table 1.
Main evidence concerning HERV loci and protein involvement in human brain development and physiology.
| Name | Classification * | Retroviral Portion | Role in the Brain | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| multiple loci | HERV-K(HML2) [class II] | PBS | involved in neuronal differentiation and neurotransmission profile | [234] |
| multiple loci | MER41 [class I] |
LTRs | serve as IFNγ-inducible enhancers in the promoter regions of immune genes, linked to human-specific cognitive functions | [236] |
| Xq24 | HERV-I [class I] |
whole provirus | flanking integrations mediating non-allelic recombination of RHOXF2 gene copies, with a possible role in central nervous system development | [238] |
| NRIF | Gypsy/Ty3-like retrotransposons | Gag protein (capsid) | derived from domestication of a Gmr1-like LTR retrotransposon, mediates neuronal apoptosis and interacts with the neurotrophin receptor p75 | [240] |
| Arc | Gypsy/Ty3-like retrotransposons | Gag protein (capsid) | mediate communications between neural cells, involved in development and plasticity of the nervous system | [243] |
* Based on the classification from [58].