Work

Ancient Gene Capture and Recent Gene Loss Shape the Evolution of Orthopoxvirus-Host Interaction Genes

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Orthopoxviruses (ORPV) include smallpox (variola) virus, one of the most devastating human pathogens, and vaccinia virus, comprising the vaccine used for smallpox eradication. Among roughly 200 ORPV genes, about half are essential for genome replication and expression as well as virion morphogenesis, whereas the remaining half consists of accessory genes counteracting the host immune response. We reannotated the accessory genes of ORPV, predicting the functions of uncharacterized genes, and reconstructed the history of their gain and loss during the evolution of ORPV. Most of the accessory genes were acquired in three major waves antedating the origin of ORPV from chordopoxviruses. The evolution of ORPV themselves was dominated by gene loss, with numerous genes lost at the base of each major group of ORPV. Examination of pairs of ORPV accessory genes that were either often or rarely lost concurrently during ORPV evolution allows prediction of different types of functional interactions.

Source: mBio

DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01495-21

Authors: Tatiana G. Senkevich, Natalya Yutin, Yuri I. Wolf, Eugene V. Koonin, Bernard Moss

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Center for Biotechnology Information

Language: English

Topic: Poxvirus research and outbreaks

Subfield: Virology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,900

Funders: Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. National Library of Medicine