Tracheophyte genomes keep track of the deep evolution of the Caulimoviridae.

ABSTRACT: Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) are viral sequences that are integrated in the nuclear genomes of their hosts and are signatures of viral infections that may have occurred millions of years ago. The study of EVEs, coined paleovirology, provides important insights into virus evolution. The Caulimoviridae is the most common group of EVEs in plants, although their presence has often been overlooked in plant genome studies. We have refined methods for the identification of caulimovirid EVEs and interrogated the genomes of a broad diversity of plant taxa, from algae to advanced flowering plants. Evidence is provided that almost every vascular plant (tracheophyte), including the most primitive taxa (clubmosses, ferns and gymnosperms) contains caulimovirid EVEs, many of which represent previousl

SUBMITTER: Diop SI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5766536 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature