Detection and genetic characterization of feline retroviruses in domestic cats with different clinical signs and hematological alterations

• Published in: Archives of virology Vol. 168; no. 1; p. 2
• Main Authors: Acevedo-Jiménez, Gabriel Eduardo, Sarmiento-Silva, Rosa Elena, Alonso-Morales, Rogelio Alejandro, Córdova-Ponce, Rodolfo, Ramírez-Álvarez, Hugo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.01.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brief Report; Cats; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease; DNA; Domestic animals; Feline leukemia; Gag protein; Genes; Genomes; Genotypes; Hematology; Immune system; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline - genetics; Infections; Infectious Diseases; Leukemia; Leukemia Virus, Feline - genetics; Leukemia, Feline; Lymphoma; Medical Microbiology; Nucleotide sequence; Proviruses - genetics; Retroviridae; Veterinary medicine; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05627-z

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are globally distributed retroviruses that infect domestic cats and cause various syndromes that can lead to death. The aim of this study was to detect and genotype feline retroviruses in Mexican domestic cats. We used PCR assays to identify proviral DNA and viral RNA in 50 domestic cats with different clinical signs and hematological alterations. Endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) was identified in the genomic DNA of all cats in the study, and we detected transcripts of the LTR region of enFeLV in 48 individuals. Exogenous FeLV (exFeLV) was found in 13 cats. Furthermore, we detected FIV proviral DNA in 10 cats. The enFeLV sequences were shown to be the most variable, while the exFeLV sequences were highly conserved and related to previously reported subgroup A sequences. Sequencing of the FIV gag gene revealed the presence of subtype B in the infected cats.