Evolutionary conservation of an ancient retroviral <i>gagpol</i> gene in Artiodactyla.

ABSTRACT: The genomes of mammals contain fingerprints of past infections by ancient retroviruses that invaded the germline of their ancestors. Most of these endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) contain only remnants of the original retrovirus; however, on rare occasions, ERV genes can be co-opted for a beneficial host function. While most studies of co-opted ERVs have focused on envelope genes, including the syncytins that function in placentation, there are examples of co-opted gag genes including one we recently discovered in simian primates. Here, we searched for other intact gag genes in non-primate mammalian lineages. We began by examining the genomes of extant camel species, which represent a basal lineage in the order Artiodactyla. This identified a gagpol gene with a large ope

SUBMITTER: Simpson J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10537755 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature