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Infectious KoRV-related retroviruses circulating in Australian bats.

Joshua A Hayward1,2, Mary Tachedjian3, Claudia Kohl4

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|April 15, 2020
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Scientists discovered new koala retrovirus-related (KoRV-related) gammaretroviruses in bats. This finding reveals bats as significant reservoirs for these potentially pathogenic exogenous retroviruses.

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Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Retroviruses
  • Bat immunology

Background:

  • Bats are known reservoirs for emerging viruses with high pathogenicity to mammals.
  • Exogenous retroviruses have not been previously identified in bats despite their viral diversity.
  • Koala retrovirus (KoRV) is a gammaretrovirus known to infect koalas.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discover and characterize exogenous retroviruses in bats.
  • To investigate the relationship between bat retroviruses and known retroviruses like KoRV.
  • To determine the potential host range and pathogenic capacity of newly discovered bat retroviruses.

Main Methods:

  • Discovery of retroviruses in bat scat samples.
  • Characterization of viral morphology and reverse transcriptase activity.
  • In vitro infection assays using bat, human, and mouse cell lines.
  • Population genetic studies and serologic surveys in bat populations.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to determine evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

  • Identification of Hervey pteropid gammaretrovirus (HPG) in Australian black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) scat.
  • HPG is the first identified reproduction-competent retrovirus in bats.
  • HPG shows close relation to KoRV and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV).
  • HPG can infect bat and human cells in vitro, similar to KoRV-A and GALV.
  • HPG and related sequences are present in Australian bat populations, with serologic evidence in multiple species.
  • Phylogenetic analysis indicates bat viruses form the basal group within KoRV-related retroviruses.

Conclusions:

  • Bats harbor exogenous koala retrovirus-related (KoRV-related) gammaretroviruses.
  • These bat-derived gammaretroviruses represent a basal lineage within the KoRV-related group.
  • Bats are significant reservoirs for potentially pathogenic exogenous retroviruses, expanding known viral reservoirs.
  • The discovery of HPG highlights bats as a source of novel retroviral diversity with implications for interspecies transmission.