Macroevolution of complex retroviruses

Aris Katzourakis; Robert J Gifford; Michael Tristem; M Thomas P Gilbert; Oliver G Pybus

doi:10.1126/science.1174149

Macroevolution of complex retroviruses

Aris Katzourakis, Robert J Gifford, Michael Tristem, M Thomas P Gilbert, Oliver G Pybus

119 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Retroviruses can leave a "fossil record" in their hosts' genomes in the form of endogenous retroviruses. Foamy viruses, complex retroviruses that infect mammals, have been notably absent from this record. We have found an endogenous foamy virus within the genomes of sloths and show that foamy viruses were infecting mammals more than 100 million years ago and codiverged with their hosts across an entire geological era. Our analysis highlights the role of evolutionary constraint in maintaining viral genome structure and indicates that accessory genes and mammalian mechanisms of innate immunity are the products of macroevolutionary conflict played out over a geological time scale.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	325
Issue number	5947
Pages (from-to)	1512
Number of pages	1
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1174149
Publication status	Published - 2009

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1174149

Cite this

@article{8f586bd02b5711df8ed1000ea68e967b,

title = "Macroevolution of complex retroviruses",

abstract = "Retroviruses can leave a {"}fossil record{"} in their hosts' genomes in the form of endogenous retroviruses. Foamy viruses, complex retroviruses that infect mammals, have been notably absent from this record. We have found an endogenous foamy virus within the genomes of sloths and show that foamy viruses were infecting mammals more than 100 million years ago and codiverged with their hosts across an entire geological era. Our analysis highlights the role of evolutionary constraint in maintaining viral genome structure and indicates that accessory genes and mammalian mechanisms of innate immunity are the products of macroevolutionary conflict played out over a geological time scale.",

author = "Aris Katzourakis and Gifford, {Robert J} and Michael Tristem and Gilbert, {M Thomas P} and Pybus, {Oliver G}",

note = "Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Endogenous Retroviruses; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Genome; Genome, Viral; Immunity, Innate; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Retroviridae Infections; Sloths; Spumavirus; Time",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1126/science.1174149",

language = "English",

volume = "325",

pages = "1512",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "5947",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Macroevolution of complex retroviruses

AU - Katzourakis, Aris

AU - Gifford, Robert J

AU - Tristem, Michael

AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P

AU - Pybus, Oliver G

N1 - Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Endogenous Retroviruses; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Genome; Genome, Viral; Immunity, Innate; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Retroviridae Infections; Sloths; Spumavirus; Time

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Retroviruses can leave a "fossil record" in their hosts' genomes in the form of endogenous retroviruses. Foamy viruses, complex retroviruses that infect mammals, have been notably absent from this record. We have found an endogenous foamy virus within the genomes of sloths and show that foamy viruses were infecting mammals more than 100 million years ago and codiverged with their hosts across an entire geological era. Our analysis highlights the role of evolutionary constraint in maintaining viral genome structure and indicates that accessory genes and mammalian mechanisms of innate immunity are the products of macroevolutionary conflict played out over a geological time scale.

AB - Retroviruses can leave a "fossil record" in their hosts' genomes in the form of endogenous retroviruses. Foamy viruses, complex retroviruses that infect mammals, have been notably absent from this record. We have found an endogenous foamy virus within the genomes of sloths and show that foamy viruses were infecting mammals more than 100 million years ago and codiverged with their hosts across an entire geological era. Our analysis highlights the role of evolutionary constraint in maintaining viral genome structure and indicates that accessory genes and mammalian mechanisms of innate immunity are the products of macroevolutionary conflict played out over a geological time scale.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1174149

DO - 10.1126/science.1174149

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19762636

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 325

SP - 1512

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5947

ER -

Macroevolution of complex retroviruses

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this