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bioRxiv · 10.1101/426585

A Reptilian Endogenous Foamy Virus Sheds Light on the Early Evolution of Retroviruses

Wei, X.·Chen, Y.·Holmes, E. C.·Cui, J.
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Abstract

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) can be thought of as 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 (EFV) have previously been discovered in mammals, amphibians and fish. Here we report a novel endogenous foamy virus, named SpuEFV, in genome of the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), an endangered reptile species endemic to New Zealand. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that SpuEFV has likely co-diverged with its host over a period of many millions of years. The discovery of SpuEFV fills a major gap in the fossil record of foamy viruses and provides important insights into the early evolution of retroviruses.

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Wei, X., Chen, Y., Holmes, E. C., Cui, J.. 2018-09-26. A Reptilian Endogenous Foamy Virus Sheds Light on the Early Evolution of Retroviruses. https://doi.org/10.1101/426585

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