title: Evolutionary dynamics of endogenous feline leukemia virus proliferation among species of the domestic cat lineage.
abstract: Endogenous feline leukemia viruses (enFeLVs) occur in the germ lines of the domestic cat and related wild species (genus Felis). We sequenced the long terminal repeats and part of the env region of enFeLVs in domestic cats and five wild species. A total of 305 enFeLV sequences were generated across 17 individuals, demonstrating considerable diversity within two major clades. Distinct proliferations of enFeLVs occurred before and after the black-footed cat diverged from the other species. Diversity of enFeLVs was limited for the sand cat and jungle cat suggesting that proliferation of enFeLVs occurred within these species after they diverged. Relationships among enFeLVs were congruent with host species relationships except for the jungle cat, which carried only enFeLVs from a lineage that recently invaded the germline (enFeLV-AGTT). Comparison of wildcat and domestic cat enFeLVs indicated that a distinctive germ line invasion of enFeLVs has not occurred since the cat was domesticated.
authors.affiliation: The Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: Sagi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polani
authors.forename: Alfred L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: Bryan B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Rosensteel
authors.forename: Sergios-Orestis
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kolokotronis
authors.forename: Gila Kahila
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bar-Gal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D002415:Cats / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D045991:Felis / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral