An endogenous gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) identified in a rodent (Melomys sp.) from Indonesia
Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: Gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and koala retrovirus (KoRV) most likely originated from 33 a cross-species transmission of an ancestral retrovirus into koalas and gibbons via one or more 34intermediate as yet unknown hosts.A highly similar virus to GALV has been identified in an 35Australian rodent (Melomys burtoni) after extensive screening of Australian wildlife.GALV-like 36 viruses have also been discovered in several Southeast Asian species although screening has not been 37extensive and viruses discovered to date are only distantly related to GALV.We therefore screened 26 38 Southeast Asian rodent species for KoRV-and GALV-like sequences, using hybridization capture and 39 high-throughput sequencing, in the attempt to identify potential GALV and KoRV hosts.Only one 40 species, an undescribed species of Melomys from Indonesia, was positive yielding an endogenous 41 provirus very closely related to a strain of GALV.The sequence of the critical receptor domain for 42 GALV infection in the Indonesian Melomys sp. was consistent with the susceptibility of the species to 43 GALV infection.The discovery of a GALV in a second Melomys species provides further evidence 44 that Melomys may play a role in the spread of GALV-like viruses, especially since the genus is found 45 in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, connecting the home ranges of koalas and gibbons.46 47 IMPORTANCE 48The gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and the koala retrovirus (KoRV) are very closely 49 related, yet their hosts are neither closely related nor overlap geographically.Direct cross-species 50 infection between koalas and gibbons is unlikely.Therfore, GALV and KoRV may have arisen via a 51 cross-species transfer from an intermediate host that overlaps in range with both gibbons and koalas.52Using hybridization capture and high-throughput sequencing, we have screened a wide range of rodent 53 candidate hosts from Southeast Asia for KoRV-and GALV-like sequences.Only a Melomys species 54 from Indonesia was positive for GALV.We report the genome sequence of this newly identified 55 GALV, the critical domain for infection of its potential cellular receptor and its phylogenetic 56 relationships with the other previously characterized GALVs.We hypothesize that the genus Melomys 57 may have played a key role in cross-species transmission to other taxa.58 59
Institution: University of Liège
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2462713425