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Rüeger S, Hammer C, Loetscher A, McLaren PJ, Lawless D, Naret O, Khanna N, Bernasconi E, Cavassini M, Günthard HF, Kahlert CR, Rauch A, Depledge DP, Morfopoulou S, Breuer J, Zdobnov E, Fellay J. The influence of human genetic variation on Epstein-Barr virus sequence diversity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4586. [PMID: 33633271 PMCID: PMC7907281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84070-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is one of the most common viruses latently infecting humans. Little is known about the impact of human genetic variation on the large inter-individual differences observed in response to EBV infection. To search for a potential imprint of host genomic variation on the EBV sequence, we jointly analyzed paired viral and human genomic data from 268 HIV-coinfected individuals with CD4 + T cell count < 200/mm3 and elevated EBV viremia. We hypothesized that the reactivated virus circulating in these patients could carry sequence variants acquired during primary EBV infection, thereby providing a snapshot of early adaptation to the pressure exerted on EBV by the individual immune response. We searched for associations between host and pathogen genetic variants, taking into account human and EBV population structure. Our analyses revealed significant associations between human and EBV sequence variation. Three polymorphic regions in the human genome were found to be associated with EBV variation: one at the amino acid level (BRLF1:p.Lys316Glu); and two at the gene level (burden testing of rare variants in BALF5 and BBRF1). Our findings confirm that jointly analyzing host and pathogen genomes can identify sites of genomic interactions, which could help dissect pathogenic mechanisms and suggest new therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Rüeger
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Alexis Loetscher
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul J McLaren
- JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Dylan Lawless
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Naret
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nina Khanna
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Enos Bernasconi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Regional Hospital Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Cavassini
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian R Kahlert
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland
- Childrens Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andri Rauch
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniel P Depledge
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sofia Morfopoulou
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Judith Breuer
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Evgeny Zdobnov
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Fellay
- School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Precision Medicine Unit, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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