Endogenous Lentiviruses in the Ferret Genome

Abstract

By screening 74 chordate genomes for endogenous lentiviruses using Pol sequences of exogenous lentiviruses as a reference, we identified a novel endogenous lentivirus in the genome of the ferret ( Mustela putorius furo ). Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the ferret endogenous lentivirus, denoted ELVmpf, diverged early in the evolution of the mammalian lentiviruses, although with a lack of resolution at key nodes. These data support the notion that lentiviruses have evolved on timescales of millions of years.