GALV-KoRV-related retroviruses in diverse Australian and African rodent species

Abstract

Abstract The enigmatic origins and transmission events of the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) and its close relative the koala retrovirus (KoRV) have been a source of enduring debate. Bats and rodents are each proposed as major reservoirs of interspecies transmission, with ongoing efforts to identify additional animal hosts of GALV-KoRV-related retroviruses. In this study, we identified nine rodent species as novel hosts of GALV-KoRV-related retroviruses. Included among these hosts are two African rodents, revealing the first appearance of this clade beyond the Australian and Southeast Asian region. One of these African rodents, Mastomys natalensis, carries an endogenous GALV-KoRV-related retrovirus that is fully intact and potentially still infectious. Our findings support the hypothesis that rodents are the major carriers of GALV-KoRV-related retroviruses.