Co-option of retroviral genes: diversity and evolution in vertebrates.

Authors

Koichi Kitao

Published in

Genes & genetic systems. Sep 02, 2026. Epub Sep 02, 2026.

Abstract

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of retroviral sequences that integrated into the host germline genome and are inherited across generations. Occasionally, the protein-coding genes within ERVs have been co-opted as host genes and contribute to diverse biological processes. In early studies, the identified ERV-derived genes remained taxonomically restricted to model organisms. Recently, however, the increasing availability of vertebrate genome assemblies has expanded the known repertoire of ERV-derived genes across diverse lineages. Here, I review the current knowledge of ERV-derived genes and how the era of comparative genomics is reshaping our understanding of the vertebrate ERV-derived genes. I first describe the processes of ERV endogenization, genomic expansion, and co-option. Then, I summarize the known functions of ERV-derived genes in vertebrates and the methodology of comparative genomic approaches to discover ERV-derived genes. I further discuss evolutionary models of ERV-derived genes, which will become increasingly important for understanding the broad pattern of their evolution. This review also provides a catalog of ERV-derived genes, including recently identified genes of unknown function. By integrating findings from recent comparative genomic studies, this review provides an updated view of how ERV-derived genes have contributed to vertebrate evolution.

PMID:
42686590
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Sep 2026.

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