Discovery and Evolutionary Analysis of a Novel Genus of Endogenous Pararetroviruses with Long Terminal Repeats.

ABSTRACT: Despite being widespread in plants, endogenous pararetroviruses (EPRVs) are still poorly understood in barley and many other cereal crops. In this study, the barley reference genome was examined and a new EPRV was identified and named Hvu-EPRV. In contrast to all EPRVs identified thus far, Hvu-EPRV contains long terminal repeats (LTRs) which are similar to LTR retrotransposons. Homologous sequences of Hvu-EPRV were found in a wide range of plants, however, only those in 17 grasses belonging to the six tribes contain LTRs. The insertion times of nested LTR retrotransposons indicated that Hvu-EPRVs inserted into barley more than 2.37 million years ago, but the invasion and endogenization of Hvu-EPRV related elements in the grass family may be ancient, and horizontal transfers may have occurr

SUBMITTER: Gao D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12708341 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature