考拉逆转录病毒是最近发生的与考拉瘤形成和感染性疾病有关的内源性逆转录病毒。目前有12种描述的KoRV亚型(KoRV-A到I,K-M),其中大多数是通过最近实施的深度测序方法鉴定的,这些方法揭示了动物的整体KoRV概况。这种方法主要是在澳大利亚各地的野生考拉种群上进行的,迄今为止,很少对圈养考拉殖民地的整个人口KoRV概况进行调查。本研究对64只已知谱系的圈养考拉进行了深度测序,安置在新南威尔士州和昆士兰州东南部的三个机构中,对KoRV遗传多样性和遗传传递进行了详细的分析。最终的数据集包括93个独特的KoRV序列和澳大利亚考拉种群中KoRV-E的首次检测。我们的分析表明,KoRV-A的外源传播,B,D,I和K主要发生在大坝和乔伊之间。新生儿样品中KoRV-D的检测提高了这种传播发生在子宫内的可能性。总的来说,KoRV亚型的患病率和丰度在圈养人群之间差异很大,可能是由于他们不同的动物获取历史。这些发现共同强调了KoRV对圈养考拉的重要性,尤其是女性,在KoRV外源传播中起主要作用。
Koala retrovirus is a recently endogenized retrovirus associated with the onset of neoplasia and infectious disease in koalas. There are currently twelve described KoRV subtypes (KoRV-A to I, K-M), most of which were identified through recently implemented deep sequencing methods which reveal an animals\' overall KoRV profile. This approach has primarily been carried out on wild koala populations around Australia, with few investigations into the whole-population KoRV profile of captive koala colonies to date. This
study conducted deep sequencing on 64 captive koalas of known pedigree, housed in three institutions from New South Wales and South-East Queensland, to provide a detailed analysis of KoRV genetic diversity and transmission. The final dataset included 93 unique KoRV sequences and the first detection of KoRV-E within Australian koala populations. Our analysis suggests that exogenous transmission of KoRV-A, B, D, I and K primarily occurs between dam and joey. Detection of KoRV-D in a neonate sample raises the possibility of this transmission occurring in utero. Overall, the prevalence and abundance of KoRV subtypes was found to vary considerably between captive populations, likely due to their different histories of animal acquisition. Together these findings highlight the importance of KoRV profiling for captive koalas, in particular females, who play a primary role in KoRV exogenous transmission.