Foamy Viruses Are Unconventional Retroviruses

Foamy viruses are unconventional retroviruses.

Evolution of Foamy Viruses: The Most Ancient of All Retroviruses †

Recent evidence indicates that foamy viruses (FVs) are the oldest retroviruses (RVs) that we know and coevolved with their hosts for several hundred million years. This coevolution may have contributed to the non-pathogenicity of FVs, an important factor in development of foamy viral vectors in gene therapy. However, various questions on the molecular evolution of FVs remain still unanswered. T...

Foamy-like endogenous retroviruses are extensive and abundant in teleosts

Recent discoveries indicate that the foamy virus (FV) (Spumavirus) ancestor may have been among the first retroviruses to appear during the evolution of vertebrates, demonstrated by foamy endogenous retroviruses present within deeply divergent hosts including mammals, coelacanth, and ray-finned fish. If they indeed existed in ancient marine environments hundreds of millions of years ago, signif...

The foamy viruses.

INTRODUCTION ........................................ 169 HISTORY ........................................ 170 CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE .................................. 170 PROPERTIES OF VIRUSES ......... .......................... 170 Isolations and serological relationships ................................... 170 Morphology ........................................ 171 Physical and ch...

Evolution of Foamy Viruses:

Recent evidence indicates that foamy viruses (FVs) are the oldest retroviruses (RVs) that we know and coevolved with their hosts for several hundred million years. This coevolution may have contributed to the non-pathogenicity of FVs, an important factor in development of foamy viral vectors in gene therapy. However, various questions on the molecular evolution of FVs remain still unanswered. T...