Abstract
Xenotropic-murine-leukemia-virus-related virus (XMRV) was the first gammaretrovirus to be reported in humans. The sequence similarity between XMRV and murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) was consistent with an origin of XMRV from one or more MLVs present as endogenous proviruses in mouse genomes. Here, we review the relationship of the human and mouse virus isolates and discuss the potential complications associated with the detection of MLV-like sequences from clinical samples.
Highlights
Xenotropic-murine-leukemia-virus-related virus (XMRV) was the first gammaretrovirus to be reported in humans
murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) are thought to have entered the Mus germ line less than 1.5 million years ago [3, 4], and generation of new endogenous proviruses continues to this day
Viruses have in turn responded by incorporating mutations in their env genes, allowing them to use the new version of the receptor and giving rise to the evolution of polytropic and modified polytropic MLVs, which are carried in numerous copies by many mouse genomes (Figure 2)
Summary
Retroviruses are unique in their requirement, as a natural step in their replication cycle, for integration into the genomes of the host cells they infect [1]. Viruses have in turn responded by incorporating mutations in their env genes, allowing them to use the new version of the receptor and giving rise to the evolution of polytropic and modified polytropic MLVs, which are carried in numerous copies by many mouse genomes (Figure 2). Another level of resistance is encoded by a set of proteins induced as result of the expression of interferon (reviewed in [11]). Strand DNA, leading to substantial frequencies of G to A hypermutation in the positive strand (genome) of many retroviruses, effectively killing the provirus
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