14 | 2025 GIGA Annual Report Lijing Tang and colleagues from the Unit of Animal Genomics have developed a molecular method to quantify the transposition rate of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in bovine sperm, shedding new light on their life cycle. ERVs, viral remnants embedded in the genome, typically become inactive over time. However, the team identified an ERV family in cattle still undergoing expansion, capable of generating new insertions. By analyzing 430 bulls, they found that the de novo transposition rate (dnTR) varies significantly between individuals, averaging one new insertion per 150 sperm cells. A genome-wide association study revealed eight genetic loci influencing this rate, with four linked directly to polymorphic ERVs. Interestingly, while «C-type» ERVs (competent for replication) drive transposition, most new insertions come from «D-type» ERVs, which hijack the replication machinery. This discovery provides key insights into ERV dynamics and their evolutionary decline. GWAS REVEALS DETERMINANTS OF MOBILIZATION RATE AND DYNAMICS OF AN ACTIVE ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRUS OF CATTLE Tang L, Swedlund B, Dupont S, Harland C, Costa Monteiro Moreira G, Durkin K, Artesi M, Mullaart E, Sartelet A, Karim L, Coppieters W, Georges M, Charlier C. Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 9;15(1):2154. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46434-1. p LINKS | News GIGA | Publication on ORBI | Carole Charlier
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