Journal of General Virology, Vol 79, 61-70, Copyright © 1998 by Society for General Microbiology

ARTICLES

Evolutionary relationships within a subgroup of HERV-K-related human endogenous retroviruses

J Zsiros, MF Jebbink, VV Lukashov, PA Voute and B Berkhout
Department of Pediatric Oncology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The prototype endogenous retrovirus HERV-K10 was identified in the human genome by its homology to the exogenous mouse mammary tumour virus. By analysis of a short 244 bp segment of the reverse transcriptase (RT) gene of other HERV-K10-like sequences, it has become clear that these elements represent an extended family consisting of multiple groups (the HML-1 to HML-6 subgroups). Some of these elements are transcriptionally active and contain an intact open reading frame for the RT protein, raising the possibility that this family is still expanding through retrotransposition. To better define the relationship of these endogenous retroviruses, we identified ten new members of the HML-2 subgroup. PCR was used to amplify reverse-transcribed RNA of a 595 bp region of the RT gene in a variety of human cell samples, including normal and leukaemic bone marrow and peripheral blood, placenta cells and a transformed T cell line. We provide an extensive phylogenetic analysis of the relationships for this cluster of HERV-K- related endogenous retroviral elements. Nucleotide diversity values for nonsynonymous versus synonymous codon positions indicate that moderately strong selection is or was operating on these retroviral RT gene segments. The evolution of this class of endogenous retroelements is discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. J. Verschoor, S. Langenhuijzen, I. Bontjer, Z. Fagrouch, H. Niphuis, K. S. Warren, K. Eulenberger, and J. L. Heeney The Phylogeography of Orangutan Foamy Viruses Supports the Theory of Ancient Repopulation of Sumatra J. Virol., November 15, 2004; 78(22): 12712 - 12716. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Ericsson, B. Oldmixon, J. Blomberg, M. Rosa, C. Patience, and G. Andersson Identification of Novel Porcine Endogenous Betaretrovirus Sequences in Miniature Swine J. Virol., March 15, 2001; 75(6): 2765 - 2770. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. Mang, J. Maas, A. C. van der Kuyl, and J. Goudsmit Papio cynocephalus Endogenous Retrovirus among Old World Monkeys: Evidence for Coevolution and Ancient Cross-Species Transmissions J. Virol., February 1, 2000; 74(3): 1578 - 1586. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H.-S. Kim, O. Takenaka, and T. J. Crow Isolation and phylogeny of endogenous retrovirus sequences belonging to the HERV-W family in primates J. Gen. Virol., October 1, 1999; 80(10): 2613 - 2619. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. Lapuk, P. Khil, I. Lavrentieva, Y. Lebedev, and E. Sverdlov A human endogenous retrovirus-like (HERV) LTR formed more than 10 million years ago due to an insertion of HERV-H LTR into the 5' LTR of HERV-K is situated on human chromosomes 10, 19 and Y J. Gen. Virol., April 1, 1999; 80(4): 835 - 839. [Abstract]

				B. Berkhout, M. Jebbink, and J. Zsíros Identification of an Active Reverse Transcriptase Enzyme Encoded by a Human Endogenous HERV-K Retrovirus J. Virol., March 1, 1999; 73(3): 2365 - 2375. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				P. Medstrand and D. L. Mager Human-Specific Integrations of the HERV-K Endogenous Retrovirus Family J. Virol., December 1, 1998; 72(12): 9782 - 9787. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]