Endogenous retrovirus (ERV) sequences provide a rich source of information about the long-term interactions between retroviruses and their hosts. However, most ERVs are derived from a subset of retrovirus groups, while ERVs derived from certain other groups remain extremely rare. In particular, only a single ERV sequence has been identified that shows evidence of being related to an ancient Deltaretrovirus, despite the large number of vertebrate genome sequences now available. In this report, we identify a second example of an ERV sequence putatively derived from a past deltaretroviral infection, in the genomes of several species of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae). This sequence represents a fragment of viral genome derived from a single integration. The time of the integration was estimated to be 11-19 million years ago. This finding, together with the previously identified endogenous Deltaretrovirus in long-fingered bats (Miniopteridae), suggest a close association of bats with ancient deltaretroviruses.

Department of Biology and Ecology University of Ostrava Chitussiho 10 71000 Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Zoology Charles University Vinicna 7 12844 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Zoology Hungarian Natural History Musem Baross Utca 13 1088 Budapest Hungary

Department of Zoology National Museum Vaclavske nam 68 11579 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Molecular Genetics The Czech Academy of Sciences Videnska 1083 14220 Prague Czech Republic

MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research 464 Bearsden Road Glasgow G12 8TA UK

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Deltaretroviruses have circulated since at least the Paleogene and infected a broad range of mammalian species

The Current View of Retroviruses as Seen from the Shoulders of a Giant