The diversity and evolution of retroviruses: Perspectives from viral “fossils”
Jialu Zheng, Yutong Wei, Guan‐Zhu Han
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.
Topics & Concepts
Endogenous retrovirusBiologyGermlineGenomeViral evolutionEvolutionary biologyGeneticsReverse transcriptaseHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)Viral replicationVirologyGeneVirusRNAChromosomal and Genetic VariationsPlant Virus Research StudiesCRISPR and Genetic Engineering