Multi-generational koala pedigree analysis reveals rapid changes in heritable provirus load associated with life history traits.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41513643.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-66312-8 and PMC identifier 12789523.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Retroviruses that colonize the host germline can be passed on as inherited genetic variants. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is currently experiencing germline colonization by two retroviruses, the koala retrovirus (KoRV) and phaCin-β. We analyze the integration site segregation and diversity of endogenous KoRV, phaCin-β, and the related phaCin-β-like in 111 pedigreed koalas from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and seven European Zoos. The use of multigenerational pedigrees and the inclusion of health information for each individual koala reveal elimination of retroviruses from proto-oncogenes and the generation and spread of new germline integrations. Seven-hundred-and-fourteen integrations do not persist in the living population. For the 55 triads examined, 21 unique integrations identified in individual koalas are absent in their parents. Retroviral integrations associated with leukemia, fertility, and longevity are used to estimate genetic risk scores and develop a longevity breeding index to minimize neoplasia risk in the captive koala population.
Medical subject headings
- Phascolarctidae
- Proviruses
- Viral Load