title: Retroviruses of wild and cultured fish.
abstract: Retroviruses comprise a large group of enveloped RNA viruses which have been found in a wide range of vertebrate species including fish. To date a number of fish retrovirus genomes have been partially or completely sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis and genome organization indicate a high diversity of fish retroviruses as well as some unique structural features that have not been found in any other retroviruses. Piscine retroviruses comprise both exogenous and endogenous viruses; most of them are associated with proliferative diseases. Because several of these proliferative diseases have a seasonal trend, they provide an excellent model for studying tumor development and regression. The aim of this work was to review the best-described fish retroviruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fish Pathology and Immunology, Inland Fisheries Institute, Oczapowskiego 10, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lepa
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Siwicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D005399:Fishes; D012190:Retroviridae; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology