The diversity and evolution of retroviruses: Perspectives from viral “fossils”

2022/01/19 by Jialu Zheng, Yutong Wei, Guan‐Zhu Han · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Chromosomal and Genetic Variations #Plant Virus Research Studies #CRISPR and Genetic Engineering

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.virs.2022.01.019

openalex publication_date 2022/01/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Retroviruses exclusively infect vertebrates, causing a variety of diseases. The replication of retroviruses requires reverse transcription and integration into host genomes. When infecting germline cells, retroviruses become inherited vertically, forming endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). ERVs document past viral infections, providing molecular fossils for studying the evolutionary history of retroviruses. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the diversity and evolution of retroviruses from the perspectives of viral fossils, and discuss the effects of ERVs on the evolution of host biology.

Citations

• Effects of Retroviruses on Host Genome Function
• Marine origin of retroviruses in the early Palaeozoic Era
• Vertebrate Lineages Exhibit Diverse Patterns of Transposable Element Regulation and Expression across Tissues

Cited by

• Retrovirus [wikipedia]