Also: bacteriophage, Hershey-Chase, endogenous retrovirus, ERV, HERV-K, syncytin, placenta
Viruses hijack their hosts' cells to copy themselves. Bacteriophages do this to bacteria, and retroviruses that infected our ancestors left copies in the human genome, some now used by the body.
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Hershey and Chase showed that when phage T2 infects bacteria its protein coat stays outside and attaches the virus, while its DNA goes in, an experiment widely cited as key evidence that DNA is the genetic material.
As reported in: Hershey, Chase (1952). INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONS OF VIRAL PROTEIN AND NUCLEIC ACID IN GROWTH OF BACTERIOPHAGE. Journal of General Physiology. doi:10.1085/jgp.36.1.39
Mi and colleagues found syncytin, an envelope protein from an ancient retrovirus captured in the human genome, makes cells fuse and may be important in forming the human placenta.
As reported in: Mi, Lee, Li et al. (2000). Syncytin is a captive retroviral envelope protein involved in human placental morphogenesis. Nature. doi:10.1038/35001608
Abstract only
Belshaw and colleagues found the human ERV family HERV-K(HML2) spread mainly by repeatedly reinfecting the germ line, implying an infectious pool of these retroviruses persisted in primates.
As reported in: Belshaw, Pereira, Katzourakis et al. (2004). Long-term reinfection of the human genome by endogenous retroviruses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.0307800101