A reptilian endogenous foamy virus sheds light on the early evolution of retroviruses. Issue 1 (27th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wei, Xiaoman; Chen, Yicong; Duan, Guangqian; Holmes, Edward C; Cui, Jie
• Is Part Of: Virus evolution. Volume 5:Issue 1(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-02-27
• Subjects: endogenous retroviruses -- foamy virus -- reptiles -- evolution -- tuatara; Viruses -- Evolution -- Periodicals; 579.2138
• DOI: 10.1093/ve/vez001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2057-1577

Abstract

Abstract: Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) represent host genomic 'fossils' of ancient viruses. Foamy viruses, including those that form endogenous copies, provide strong evidence for virus-host co-divergence across the vertebrate phylogeny. Endogenous foamy viruses (EFVs) have previously been discovered in mammals, amphibians, and fish. Here we report a novel endogenous foamy virus, termed ERV-Spuma-Spu, in genome of the tuatara ( Sphenodon punctatus ), an endangered reptile species endemic to New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that foamy viruses have likely co-diverged with their hosts over many millions of years. The discovery of ERV-Spuma-Spu fills a major gap in the fossil record of foamy viruses and provides important insights into the early evolution of retroviruses.