An Ecological Framework of the Human Virome Provides Classification of Current Knowledge and Identifies Areas of Forthcoming Discovery

Parker, Michael T.

The viral component of the microbiome, termed the "virome" [3] is a poorly understood facet of the microbiome, despite having the potential to significantly impact human health. From a philosophical perspective, viruses were likely integral to the very existence of man as the primordial precursor to all current life on earth [4] . More tangibly, during the course of human evolution, the viruses in and around humans not only drove evolution via selective pressure, but also contributed novel genetic material. In fact, approximately 42 percent of the human genome is composed of viral sequence [5] . This role as a major agent driving horizontal (i.e., non-reproductive) gene transfer between biomes [6] [7] [8] [9] and the fact that the diversity, complexity, and abundance of viruses surpasses any other biological entity make it apparent that understanding viromes will impart unparalleled understanding of the organisms they inhabit [10] .