The population history of endogenous retroviruses in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Mobile elements are powerful agents of genomic evolution and can be exceptionally informative markers for investigating species and population-level evolutionary history. While several studies have utilized retrotransposon-based insertional polymorphisms to resolve phylogenies, few population studies exist outside of humans. Endogenous retroviruses are LTR-retrotransposons derived from retroviruses that have become stably integrated in the host genome during past infections and transmitted vertically to subsequent generations. They offer valuable insight into host-virus co-evolution and a unique perspective on host evolutionary history because they integrate into the genome at a discrete point in time. We examined the evolutionary history of a cervid endogenous gammaretrovirus (CrERVγ) in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). We sequenced 14 CrERV proviruses (CrERV-in1 to -in14), and examined the prevalence and distribution of 13 proviruses in 262 deer among 15 populations from Montana, Wyom...移动遗传元件（Mobile elements）是基因组进化的关键介导因子，同时亦是探究物种及种群水平进化历史的极具信息价值的标记物。尽管已有多项研究利用基于反转录转座子（retrotransposon）的插入多态性来解析系统发育关系，但除人类以外的相关种群研究仍较为匮乏。内源性逆转录病毒（Endogenous retroviruses）是源自逆转录病毒的长末端重复序列反转录转座子（LTR-retrotransposons），它们在过往感染过程中稳定整合至宿主基因组，并可通过垂直传播传递给子代。由于其在基因组中的整合位点具有明确的时间节点，这类病毒可为宿主-病毒共进化研究提供宝贵视角，同时也能为宿主进化历史研究带来独特的解读维度。本研究针对骡鹿（Odocoileus hemionus）中的鹿源内源性γ逆转录病毒（cervid endogenous gammaretrovirus, CrERVγ）的进化历史展开分析。我们对14株CrERV前病毒（CrERV-in1至CrERV-in14）进行了测序，并针对来自美国蒙大拿州、怀俄明州等15个种群的262头骡鹿，检测了其中13株前病毒的携带率与分布特征。