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Radrizzani S, Kudla G, Izsvák Z, Hurst LD. Selection on synonymous sites: the unwanted transcript hypothesis. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:431-448. [PMID: 38297070 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00686-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Although translational selection to favour codons that match the most abundant tRNAs is not readily observed in humans, there is nonetheless selection in humans on synonymous mutations. We hypothesize that much of this synonymous site selection can be explained in terms of protection against unwanted RNAs - spurious transcripts, mis-spliced forms or RNAs derived from transposable elements or viruses. We propose not only that selection on synonymous sites functions to reduce the rate of creation of unwanted transcripts (for example, through selection on exonic splice enhancers and cryptic splice sites) but also that high-GC content (but low-CpG content), together with intron presence and position, is both particular to functional native mRNAs and used to recognize transcripts as native. In support of this hypothesis, transcription, nuclear export, liquid phase condensation and RNA degradation have all recently been shown to promote GC-rich transcripts and suppress AU/CpG-rich ones. With such 'traps' being set against AU/CpG-rich transcripts, the codon usage of native genes has, in turn, evolved to avoid such suppression. That parallel filters against AU/CpG-rich transcripts also affect the endosomal import of RNAs further supports the unwanted transcript hypothesis of synonymous site selection and explains the similar design rules that have enabled the successful use of transgenes and RNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Radrizzani
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zsuzsanna Izsvák
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
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2
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Kaushik R, Kumar N, Yadav P, Sircar S, Shete-Aich A, Singh A, Tomar S, Launey T, Malik YS. Comprehensive Genomics Investigation of Neboviruses Reveals Distinct Codon Usage Patterns and Host Specificity. Microorganisms 2024; 12:696. [PMID: 38674640 PMCID: PMC11052288 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neboviruses (NeVs) from the Caliciviridae family have been linked to enteric diseases in bovines and have been detected worldwide. As viruses rely entirely on the cellular machinery of the host for replication, their ability to thrive in a specific host is greatly impacted by the specific codon usage preferences. Here, we systematically analyzed the codon usage bias in NeVs to explore the genetic and evolutionary patterns. Relative Synonymous Codon Usage and Effective Number of Codon analyses indicated a marginally lower codon usage bias in NeVs, predominantly influenced by the nucleotide compositional constraints. Nonetheless, NeVs showed a higher codon usage bias for codons containing G/C at the third codon position. The neutrality plot analysis revealed natural selection as the primary factor that shaped the codon usage bias in both the VP1 (82%) and VP2 (57%) genes of NeVs. Furthermore, the NeVs showed a highly comparable codon usage pattern to bovines, as reflected through Codon Adaptation Index and Relative Codon Deoptimization Index analyses. Notably, yak NeVs showed considerably different nucleotide compositional constraints and mutational pressure compared to bovine NeVs, which appear to be predominantly host-driven. This study sheds light on the genetic mechanism driving NeVs' adaptability, evolution, and fitness to their host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kaushik
- Biotechnology Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 9639, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Naveen Kumar
- Diagnostics and Vaccines Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462021, Madhya Pradesh, India;
| | - Pragya Yadav
- Maximum Containment Facility, ICMR—National Institute of Virology, Pune 411001, Maharashtra, India; (P.Y.); (A.S.-A.)
| | - Shubhankar Sircar
- Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA;
| | - Anita Shete-Aich
- Maximum Containment Facility, ICMR—National Institute of Virology, Pune 411001, Maharashtra, India; (P.Y.); (A.S.-A.)
| | - Ankur Singh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India; (A.S.); (S.T.)
| | - Shailly Tomar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India; (A.S.); (S.T.)
| | - Thomas Launey
- Biotechnology Research Center, Technology Innovation Institute, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 9639, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Yashpal Singh Malik
- College of Animal Biotechnology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, India
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3
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Lu M, Wan W, Li Y, Li H, Sun B, Yu K, Zhao J, Franzo G, Su S. Codon usage bias analysis of the spike protein of human coronavirus 229E and its host adaptability. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127319. [PMID: 37820917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) represents one of the known coronaviruses capable of infecting humans and causes mild respiratory symptoms. It is also considered to have a zoonotic source, originating from animals and being transmitted the humans. In this study, a comprehensive phylogenetic and codon usage analysis of the spike (S) gene of HCoV-229E was conducted. Utilizing phylogenetic analysis and principal component analysis, HCoV-229E was categorized into four distinct clusters, each demonstrating unique host affiliations. Furthermore, it was observed that the codon usage bias within the S gene of HCoV-229E is relatively low, primarily influenced by natural selection patterns, with contributions from mutation pressure and dinucleotide abundance. Comparative analysis involving Codon Adaptation Index (CAI) and Relative Codon Deoptimization Index (RCDI) revealed that the codon usage pattern of HCoV-229E mirrors more closely that of camels, as opposed to alpacas and humans. The elucidation of the codon usage pattern within HCoV-229E, which we have meticulously examined, offers valuable insights for a more comprehensive comprehension of viral features, history, and evolutionary trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbo Wan
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxing Li
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Haipeng Li
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Bowen Sun
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Kang Yu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zhao
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Giovanni Franzo
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health (MAPS), University of Padua, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro 35020, PD, Italy
| | - Shuo Su
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, School of Public Health, Fudan University, 131 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Wesp V, Theißen G, Schuster S. Statistical analysis of synonymous and stop codons in pseudo-random and real sequences as a function of GC content. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22996. [PMID: 38151539 PMCID: PMC10752896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49626-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the frequencies of synonymous triplets in protein-coding and non-coding DNA stretches can be used in gene finding. These frequencies depend on the GC content of the genome or parts of it. An example of interest is provided by stop codons. This is relevant for the definition of Open Reading Frames. A generic case is provided by pseudo-random sequences, especially when they code for complex proteins or when they are non-coding and not subject to selection pressure. Here, we calculate, for such sequences and for all 25 known genetic codes, the frequency of each amino acid and stop codon based on their set of codons and as a function of GC content. The amino acids can be classified into five groups according to the GC content where their expected frequency reaches its maximum. We determine the overall Shannon information based on groups of synonymous codons and show that it becomes maximum at a percent GC of 43.3% (for the standard code). This is in line with the observation that in most fungi, plants, and animals, this genomic parameter is in the range from 35 to 50%. By analysing natural sequences, we show that there is a clear bias for triplets corresponding to stop codons near the 5'- and 3'-splice sites in the introns of various clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Wesp
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Günter Theißen
- Department of Genetics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 12, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Schuster
- Department of Bioinformatics, Matthias Schleiden Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, 07743, Jena, Germany.
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Li L, Vasan L, Kartono B, Clifford K, Attarpour A, Sharma R, Mandrozos M, Kim A, Zhao W, Belotserkovsky A, Verkuyl C, Schmitt-Ulms G. Advances in Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2725. [PMID: 37893099 PMCID: PMC10603849 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors are gene therapy delivery tools that offer a promising platform for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Keeping up with developments in this fast-moving area of research is a challenge. This review was thus written with the intention to introduce this field of study to those who are new to it and direct others who are struggling to stay abreast of the literature towards notable recent studies. In ten sections, we briefly highlight early milestones within this field and its first clinical success stories. We showcase current clinical trials, which focus on gene replacement, gene augmentation, or gene suppression strategies. Next, we discuss ongoing efforts to improve the tropism of rAAV vectors for brain applications and introduce pre-clinical research directed toward harnessing rAAV vectors for gene editing applications. Subsequently, we present common genetic elements coded by the single-stranded DNA of rAAV vectors, their so-called payloads. Our focus is on recent advances that are bound to increase treatment efficacies. As needed, we included studies outside the neurodegenerative disease field that showcased improved pre-clinical designs of all-in-one rAAV vectors for gene editing applications. Finally, we discuss risks associated with off-target effects and inadvertent immunogenicity that these technologies harbor as well as the mitigation strategies available to date to make their application safer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyao Li
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Lakshmy Vasan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Bryan Kartono
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Kevan Clifford
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College St., Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Ahmadreza Attarpour
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 101 College St., Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Raghav Sharma
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Matthew Mandrozos
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ain Kim
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wenda Zhao
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ari Belotserkovsky
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Claire Verkuyl
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Gerold Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Centre, 6th Floor, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 6th Floor, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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6
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Molteni C, Forni D, Cagliani R, Bravo IG, Sironi M. Evolution and diversity of nucleotide and dinucleotide composition in poxviruses. J Gen Virol 2023; 104. [PMID: 37792576 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Poxviruses (family Poxviridae) have long dsDNA genomes and infect a wide range of hosts, including insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. These viruses have substantial incidence, prevalence and disease burden in humans and in other animals. Nucleotide and dinucleotide composition, mostly CpG and TpA, have been largely studied in viral genomes because of their evolutionary and functional implications. We analysed here the nucleotide and dinucleotide composition, as well as codon usage bias, of a set of representative poxvirus genomes, with a very diverse host spectrum. After correcting for overall nucleotide composition, entomopoxviruses displayed low overall GC content, no enrichment in TpA and large variation in CpG enrichment, while chordopoxviruses showed large variation in nucleotide composition, no obvious depletion in CpG and a weak trend for TpA depletion in GC-rich genomes. Overall, intergenome variation in dinucleotide composition in poxviruses is largely accounted for by variation in overall genomic GC levels. Nonetheless, using vaccinia virus as a model, we found that genes expressed at the earliest times in infection are more CpG-depleted than genes expressed at later stages. This observation has parallels in betahepesviruses (also large dsDNA viruses) and suggests an antiviral role for the innate immune system (e.g. via the zinc-finger antiviral protein ZAP) in the early phases of poxvirus infection. We also analysed codon usage bias in poxviruses and we observed that it is mostly determined by genomic GC content, and that stratification after host taxonomy does not contribute to explaining codon usage bias diversity. By analysis of within-species diversity, we show that genomic GC content is the result of mutational biases. Poxvirus genomes that encode a DNA ligase are significantly AT-richer than those that do not, suggesting that DNA repair systems shape mutation biases. Our data shed light on the evolution of poxviruses and inform strategies for their genetic manipulation for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Molteni
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Bioinformatics, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Diego Forni
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Bioinformatics, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Rachele Cagliani
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Bioinformatics, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Ignacio G Bravo
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Univ Montpellier CNRS, IRD), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montpellier, France
| | - Manuela Sironi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E. MEDEA, Bioinformatics, Bosisio Parini, Italy
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7
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Delamonica B, Davalos L, Larijani M, Anthony SJ, Liu J, MacCarthy T. Evolutionary potential of the monkeypox genome arising from interactions with human APOBEC3 enzymes. Virus Evol 2023; 9:vead047. [PMID: 37577211 PMCID: PMC10422979 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vead047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
APOBEC3, an enzyme subfamily that plays a role in virus restriction by generating mutations at particular DNA motifs or mutational 'hotspots', can drive viral mutagenesis with host-specific preferential hotspot mutations contributing to pathogen variation. While previous analysis of viral genomes from the 2022 Mpox (formerly Monkeypox) disease outbreak has shown a high frequency of C>T mutations at TC motifs, suggesting recent mutations are human APOBEC3-mediated, how emerging monkeypox virus (MPXV) strains will evolve as a consequence of APOBEC3-mediated mutations remains unknown. By measuring hotspot under-representation, depletion at synonymous sites, and a combination of the two, we analyzed APOBEC3-driven evolution in human poxvirus genomes, finding varying hotspot under-representation patterns. While the native poxvirus molluscum contagiosum exhibits a signature consistent with extensive coevolution with human APOBEC3, including depletion of TC hotspots, variola virus shows an intermediate effect consistent with ongoing evolution at the time of eradication. MPXV, likely the result of recent zoonosis, showed many genes with more TC hotspots than expected by chance (over-representation) and fewer GC hotspots than expected (under-representation). These results suggest the MPXV genome: (1) may have evolved in a host with a particular APOBEC GC hotspot preference, (2) has inverted terminal repeat (ITR) regions-which may be exposed to APOBEC3 for longer during viral replication-and longer genes likely to evolve faster, and therefore (3) has a heightened potential for future human APOBEC3-meditated evolution as the virus spreads in the human population. Our predictions of MPXV mutational potential can both help guide future vaccine development and identification of putative drug targets and add urgency to the task of containing human Mpox disease transmission and uncovering the ecology of the virus in its reservoir host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Delamonica
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Liliana Davalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Mani Larijani
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Simon J Anthony
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Thomas MacCarthy
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Delamonica B, Davalos L, Larijani M, Anthony SJ, Liu J, MacCarthy T. Evolutionary potential of the monkeypox genome arising from interactions with human APOBEC3 enzymes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546779. [PMID: 37425914 PMCID: PMC10326987 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
APOBEC3, an enzyme subfamily that plays a role in virus restriction by generating mutations at particular DNA motifs or mutational "hotspots," can drive viral mutagenesis with host-specific preferential hotspot mutations contributing to pathogen variation. While previous analysis of viral genomes from the 2022 Mpox (formerly Monkeypox) disease outbreak has shown a high frequency of C>T mutations at T C motifs, suggesting recent mutations are human APOBEC3-mediated, how emerging monkeypox virus (MPXV) strains will evolve as a consequence of APOBEC3-mediated mutations remains unknown. By measuring hotspot under-representation, depletion at synonymous sites, and a combination of the two, we analyzed APOBEC3-driven evolution in human poxvirus genomes, finding varying hotspot under-representation patterns. While the native poxvirus molluscum contagiosum exhibits a signature consistent with extensive coevolution with human APOBEC3, including depletion of T C hotspots, variola virus shows an intermediate effect consistent with ongoing evolution at the time of eradication. MPXV, likely the result of recent zoonosis, showed many genes with more T C hotspots than expected by chance (over-representation) and fewer G C hotspots than expected (under-representation). These results suggest the MPXV genome: 1) may have evolved in a host with a particular APOBEC G C hotspot preference, 2) has inverted terminal repeat (ITR) regions -which may be exposed to APOBEC3 for longer during viral replication- and longer genes likely to evolve faster, and therefore 3) has a heightened potential for future human APOBEC3-meditated evolution as the virus spreads in the human population. Our predictions of MPXV mutational potential can both help guide future vaccine development and identification of putative drug targets and add urgency to the task of containing human Mpox disease transmission and uncovering the ecology of the virus in its reservoir host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Delamonica
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Liliana Davalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA; Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Mani Larijani
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada; Program in Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Simon J Anthony
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Thomas MacCarthy
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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9
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Han L, Song S, Feng H, Ma J, Wei W, Si F. A roadmap for developing Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) vaccines: Lessons from the past, strategies for the future. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125514. [PMID: 37353130 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), which can lead to severe central nervous system infections in both humans and animals. At present, the medical community does not possess a viable means of addressing VEE, rendering the prevention of the virus a matter of paramount importance. Regarding the prevention and control of VEEV, the implementation of a vaccination program has been recognized as the most efficient strategy. Nevertheless, there are currently no licensed vaccines or drugs available for human use against VEEV. This imperative has led to a surge of interest in vaccine research, with VEEV being a prime focus for researchers in the field. In this paper, we initially present a comprehensive overview of the current taxonomic classification of VEEV and the cellular infection mechanism of the virus. Subsequently, we provide a detailed introduction of the prominent VEEV vaccine types presently available, including inactivated vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, genetic, and virus-like particle vaccines. Moreover, we emphasize the challenges that current VEEV vaccine development faces and suggest urgent measures that must be taken to overcome these obstacles. Notably, based on our latest research, we propose the feasibility of incorporation codon usage bias strategies to create the novel VEEV vaccine. Finally, we prose several areas that future VEEV vaccine development should focus on. Our objective is to encourage collaboration between the medical and veterinary communities, expedite the translation of existing vaccines from laboratory to clinical applications, while also preparing for future outbreaks of new VEEV variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Han
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, China; Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Clinical Medical College of Henan University, Kai Feng 475000, China
| | - Shuai Song
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Livestock Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Scientific Observation and Experiment Station of Veterinary Drugs and Diagnostic Techniques of Guangdong Province, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Huilin Feng
- Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Infection and Biological Safety, School of Basic Medical Sciences of Henan University, Kai Feng 475000, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Clinical Medical College of Henan University, Kai Feng 475000, China
| | - Wenqiang Wei
- Kaifeng Key Laboratory of Infection and Biological Safety, School of Basic Medical Sciences of Henan University, Kai Feng 475000, China.
| | - Fusheng Si
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, China.
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10
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Si F, Song S, Yu R, Li Z, Wei W, Wu C. Coronavirus accessory protein ORF3 biology and its contribution to viral behavior and pathogenesis. iScience 2023; 26:106280. [PMID: 36945252 PMCID: PMC9972675 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is classified in the genus Alphacoronavirus, family Coronaviridae that encodes the only accessory protein, ORF3 protein. However, how ORF3 contributes to viral pathogenicity, adaptability, and replication is obscure. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and identify gaps in many aspects of ORF3 protein in PEDV, with emphasis on its unique biological features, including membrane topology, Golgi retention mechanism, potential intrinsic disordered property, functional motifs, protein glycosylation, and codon usage phenotypes related to genetic evolution and gene expression. In addition, we propose intriguing questions related to ORF3 protein that we hope to stimulate further studies and encourage collaboration among virologists worldwide to provide constructive knowledge about the unique characteristics and biological functions of ORF3 protein, by which their potential role in clarifying viral behavior and pathogenesis can be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Si
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Song
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Observation and Experiment Station of Veterinary Drugs and Diagnostic Techniques of Guangdong Province, Ministry of Agriculture of Rural Affairs, and Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Prevention of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510640, P.R. China
| | - Ruisong Yu
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, P.R. China
| | - Wenqiang Wei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China
| | - Chao Wu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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11
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Sun Q, Zeng J, Tang K, Long H, Zhang C, Zhang J, Tang J, Xin Y, Zheng J, Sun L, Liu S, Du X. Variation in synonymous evolutionary rates in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1136386. [PMID: 36970680 PMCID: PMC10034387 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1136386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionCoronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Influential variants and mutants of this virus continue to emerge, and more effective virus-related information is urgently required for identifying and predicting new mutants. According to earlier reports, synonymous substitutions were considered phenotypically silent; thus, such mutations were frequently ignored in studies of viral mutations because they did not directly cause amino acid changes. However, recent studies have shown that synonymous substitutions are not completely silent, and their patterns and potential functional correlations should thus be delineated for better control of the pandemic.MethodsIn this study, we estimated the synonymous evolutionary rate (SER) across the SARS-CoV-2 genome and used it to infer the relationship between the viral RNA and host protein. We also assessed the patterns of characteristic mutations found in different viral lineages.ResultsWe found that the SER varies across the genome and that the variation is primarily influenced by codon-related factors. Moreover, the conserved motifs identified based on the SER were found to be related to host RNA transport and regulation. Importantly, the majority of the existing fixed-characteristic mutations for five important virus lineages (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron) were significantly enriched in partially constrained regions.DiscussionTaken together, our results provide unique information on the evolutionary and functional dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 based on synonymous mutations and offer potentially useful information for better control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianru Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinfeng Zeng
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kang Tang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoyu Long
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Tang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Xin
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jialu Zheng
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Litao Sun
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siyang Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiangjun Du
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiangjun Du
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12
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Jiang L, Zhang Q, Xiao S, Si F. Deep decoding of codon usage strategies and host adaption preferences of soybean mosaic virus. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:803-817. [PMID: 36167098 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) has threatened the global yield of Leguminosae crops, but the mechanism of its infection, spread, and evolution remains unknown. A systemic analysis of 107 SMV strains was performed to explore the genome-wide codon usage profile and the various factors influencing the codon usage patterns of SMV, which provides insight into its molecular evolution and elucidates its unknown host adaptation pattern. The overall nucleotide composition and correlation analysis revealed that the preferred synonymous codons mostly end with A/U. Clustering by RSCU value of each strain and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the SMV isolates studied were divided into four clades, with a low overall extent of codon usage bias (CUB) in SMV. According to the ENC, PR2, neutrality plot, and correspondence analysis, natural selection of geographical diversity may play a critical role in the CUB. Higher adaptability was shown in Glycine with SMV and more pressure was received by clade III. These findings could not only provide valuable information about the overall codon usage pattern of the SMV genome, but could also aid in the clarification of the involved mechanisms that dominate the codon usage patterns and genetic evolution of the SMV genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450009, China
| | - Shimin Xiao
- Shanwei Marine Industry Institute, Shanwei Institute of Technology, Shanwei 516600, China.
| | - Fusheng Si
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, China.
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13
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Wang X, Sun J, Zheng Y, Xie F. Dispersion of synonymous codon usage patterns in hepatitis E virus genomes derived from various hosts. J Basic Microbiol 2022; 62:975-983. [PMID: 35778820 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting a wide range of host species. It has a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome encoding three open reading frames (ORFs). Synonymous codon usages of viruses essentially determine their survival and adaptation to susceptible hosts. To better understand the interplay between the ever-expanding host range and synonymous codon usages of HEV, we quantified the dispersion of synonymous codon usages of HEV genomes isolated from different hosts via Vs calculation and information entropy. HEV ORFs show species-specific synonymous codon usage patterns. Ruminant-derived HEV ORFs own the most synonymous codons with stable usage patterns (Vs value <0.1) which leads to the stable overall codon usage patterns (R value being close to zero). Swine-derived HEV ORFs own more concentrated synonymous codons than those from wild boar. Compared with HEV strains isolated from other hosts, the human-derived HEV exhibits a distinct pattern at the overall codon usage (R < 0). Generally, ORF1 contains more synonymous codons with stable usage patterns (Vs < 0.1) than those of ORFs 2 and 3. Moreover, ORF3 contains more synonymous codons with varied patterns (Vs > 1.0) than ORFs 1 and 2. The host factor serving as one of the evolutionary dynamics probably influences synonymous codon usage patterns of the HEV genome. Taken together, synonymous codons with stable usage patterns in ORF1 might help to sustain the infection, while that with varied usage patterns in ORF3 may facilitate cross-species infection and expand the host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Endocrine, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yueyan Zheng
- School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Fuqiang Xie
- Department of Stomatology, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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14
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Kawashima IY, Lopez MCN, Cunha MDP, Hashimoto RF. SARS-CoV-2 host prediction based on virus-host genetic features. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4576. [PMID: 35301337 PMCID: PMC8930995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08350-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic diversity of the Coronaviruses gives them different biological abilities, such as infect different cells and/or organisms, a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, their different routes of dispersion, and viral transmission in a specific host. In recent decades, different Coronaviruses have emerged that are highly adapted for humans and causing serious diseases, leaving their host of unknown origin. The viral genome information is particularly important to enable the recognition of patterns linked to their biological characteristics, such as the specificity in the host-parasite relationship. Here, based on a previously computational tool, the Seq2Hosts, we developed a novel approach which uses new variables obtained from the frequency of spike-Coronaviruses codons, the Relative Synonymous Codon Usage (RSCU) to shed new light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) host specificity. By using the RSCU obtained from nucleotide sequences before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we assessed the possibility of know the hosts capable to be infected by these new emerging species, which was first identified infecting humans during 2019 in Wuhan, China. According to the model trained and validated using sequences available before the pandemic, bats are the most likely the natural host to the SARS-CoV-2 infection, as previously suggested in other studies that searched for the host viral origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Yuri Kawashima
- Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ronaldo Fumio Hashimoto
- Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brazil.
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15
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Bias at the third nucleotide of codon pairs in virus and host genomes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4522. [PMID: 35296743 PMCID: PMC8927144 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomes of different sizes and complexity can be compared using common features. Most genomes contain open reading frames, and most genomes use the same genetic code. Redundancy in the genetic code means that different biases in the third nucleotide position of a codon exist in different genomes. However, the nucleotide composition of viruses can be quite different from host nucleotide composition making it difficult to assess the relevance of these biases. Here we show that grouping codons of a codon-pair according to the GC content of the first two nucleotide positions of each codon reveals patterns in nucleotide usage at the third position of the 1st codon. Differences between the observed and expected biases occur predominantly when the first two nucleotides of the 2nd codon are both S (strong, G or C) or both W (weak, A or T), not a mixture of strong and weak. The data indicates that some codon pairs are preferred because of the strength of the interactions between the codon and anticodon, the adjacent tRNAs and the ribosome. Using base-pairing strength and third position bias facilitates the comparison of genomes of different size and nucleotide composition and reveals patterns not previously described.
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16
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Mühlhausen S, Hurst LD. Transgene-design: a web application for the design of mammalian transgenes. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:2626-2627. [PMID: 35244144 PMCID: PMC9048660 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Summary Transgene-design is a web application to help design transgenes for use in mammalian studies. It is predicated on the recent discovery that human intronless transgenes and native retrogenes can be expressed very effectively if the GC content at exonic synonymous sites is high. In addition, as exonic splice enhancers resident in intron containing genes may have different utility in intronless genes, these can be reduced or increased in density. Input can be a native gene or a commercially ‘optimised’ gene. The option to leave in the first intron and to protect or avoid other motifs is also permitted. Availability and implementation Transgene-design is based on a ruby for rails platform. The application is available at https://transgene-design.bath.ac.uk. The code is available under GNU General Public License from GitHub (https://github.com/smuehlh/transgenes). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Mühlhausen
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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17
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Si F, Jiang L, Yu R, Wei W, Li Z. Study on the Characteristic Codon Usage Pattern in Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Genomes and Its Host Adaptation Phenotype. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:738082. [PMID: 34733253 PMCID: PMC8558211 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.738082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), which classified in the genus Alphacoronavirus, family Coronaviridae, is one of the most important pathogens that cause heavy economic losses in pig industry. Although intensive mutation and recombination analysis of PEDV strains were provided, systematic genome analysis were needed to elucidate the evolution mechanism and codon usage adaptation profiles of the pathogen. Here, a comprehensive investigation was carried out to reveal the systematic evolutionary processes of synonymous codon usage and host-adapted evolution phenotype of PEDV genome. We found a low codon usage bias (CUB) in PEDV genome and that nucleotide compositions, natural selection, mutation pressure and geographical diversity shapes the codon usage patterns of PEDV, with natural selection dominated the overall codon usage bias in PEDV than the others. By using the relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI) and similarity index (SiD) analysis, we observed that genotype II PEDV strains showed the highest level of adaptation phenotype to Sus scrofa than another divergent clade. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report elaborating the codon usage and host adaptation of PEDV. The findings offer an insight into our understanding of factors involved in PEDV evolution, adaptation and fitness toward their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusheng Si
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Jiang
- South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruisong Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqiang Wei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
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18
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Morales AC, Rice AM, Ho AT, Mordstein C, Mühlhausen S, Watson S, Cano L, Young B, Kudla G, Hurst LD. Causes and Consequences of Purifying Selection on SARS-CoV-2. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evab196. [PMID: 34427640 PMCID: PMC8504154 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Owing to a lag between a deleterious mutation's appearance and its selective removal, gold-standard methods for mutation rate estimation assume no meaningful loss of mutations between parents and offspring. Indeed, from analysis of closely related lineages, in SARS-CoV-2, the Ka/Ks ratio was previously estimated as 1.008, suggesting no within-host selection. By contrast, we find a higher number of observed SNPs at 4-fold degenerate sites than elsewhere and, allowing for the virus's complex mutational and compositional biases, estimate that the mutation rate is at least 49-67% higher than would be estimated based on the rate of appearance of variants in sampled genomes. Given the high Ka/Ks one might assume that the majority of such intrahost selection is the purging of nonsense mutations. However, we estimate that selection against nonsense mutations accounts for only ∼10% of all the "missing" mutations. Instead, classical protein-level selective filters (against chemically disparate amino acids and those predicted to disrupt protein functionality) account for many missing mutations. It is less obvious why for an intracellular parasite, amino acid cost parameters, notably amino acid decay rate, is also significant. Perhaps most surprisingly, we also find evidence for real-time selection against synonymous mutations that move codon usage away from that of humans. We conclude that there is common intrahost selection on SARS-CoV-2 that acts on nonsense, missense, and possibly synonymous mutations. This has implications for methods of mutation rate estimation, for determining times to common ancestry and the potential for intrahost evolution including vaccine escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atahualpa Castillo Morales
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Alan M Rice
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander T Ho
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Mordstein
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Stefanie Mühlhausen
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Samir Watson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Laura Cano
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bethan Young
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Grzegorz Kudla
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence D Hurst
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, United Kingdom
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19
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Lin YT, Chau LF, Coutts H, Mahmoudi M, Drampa V, Lee CH, Brown A, Hughes DJ, Grey F. Does the Zinc Finger Antiviral Protein (ZAP) Shape the Evolution of Herpesvirus Genomes? Viruses 2021; 13:1857. [PMID: 34578438 PMCID: PMC8473364 DOI: 10.3390/v13091857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
An evolutionary arms race occurs between viruses and hosts. Hosts have developed an array of antiviral mechanisms aimed at inhibiting replication and spread of viruses, reducing their fitness, and ultimately minimising pathogenic effects. In turn, viruses have evolved sophisticated counter-measures that mediate evasion of host defence mechanisms. A key aspect of host defences is the ability to differentiate between self and non-self. Previous studies have demonstrated significant suppression of CpG and UpA dinucleotide frequencies in the coding regions of RNA and small DNA viruses. Artificially increasing these dinucleotide frequencies results in a substantial attenuation of virus replication, suggesting dinucleotide bias could facilitate recognition of non-self RNA. The interferon-inducible gene, zinc finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is the host factor responsible for sensing CpG dinucleotides in viral RNA and restricting RNA viruses through direct binding and degradation of the target RNA. Herpesviruses are large DNA viruses that comprise three subfamilies, alpha, beta and gamma, which display divergent CpG dinucleotide patterns within their genomes. ZAP has recently been shown to act as a host restriction factor against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a beta-herpesvirus, which in turn evades ZAP detection by suppressing CpG levels in the major immediate-early transcript IE1, one of the first genes expressed by the virus. While suppression of CpG dinucleotides allows evasion of ZAP targeting, synonymous changes in nucleotide composition that cause genome biases, such as low GC content, can cause inefficient gene expression, especially in unspliced transcripts. To maintain compact genomes, the majority of herpesvirus transcripts are unspliced. Here we discuss how the conflicting pressures of ZAP evasion, the need to maintain compact genomes through the use of unspliced transcripts and maintaining efficient gene expression may have shaped the evolution of herpesvirus genomes, leading to characteristic CpG dinucleotide patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Tang Lin
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Long-Fung Chau
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Hannah Coutts
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Matin Mahmoudi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Vayalena Drampa
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Chen-Hsuin Lee
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Alex Brown
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
| | - David J. Hughes
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK;
| | - Finn Grey
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; (Y.-T.L.); (L.-F.C.); (H.C.); (M.M.); (V.D.); (C.-H.L.); (A.B.)
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20
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Kumar N, Kaushik R, Tennakoon C, Uversky VN, Mishra A, Sood R, Srivastava P, Tripathi M, Zhang KYJ, Bhatia S. Evolutionary Signatures Governing the Codon Usage Bias in Coronaviruses and Their Implications for Viruses Infecting Various Bat Species. Viruses 2021; 13:1847. [PMID: 34578428 PMCID: PMC8473330 DOI: 10.3390/v13091847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many viruses that cause serious diseases in humans and animals, including the betacoronaviruses (beta-CoVs), such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and the recently identified SARS-CoV-2, have natural reservoirs in bats. Because these viruses rely entirely on the host cellular machinery for survival, their evolution is likely to be guided by the link between the codon usage of the virus and that of its host. As a result, specific cellular microenvironments of the diverse hosts and/or host tissues imprint peculiar molecular signatures in virus genomes. Our study is aimed at deciphering some of these signatures. Using a variety of genetic methods we demonstrated that trends in codon usage across chiroptera-hosted CoVs are collaboratively driven by geographically different host-species and temporal-spatial distribution. We not only found that chiroptera-hosted CoVs are the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2, but we also revealed that SARS-CoV-2 has the codon usage characteristics similar to those seen in CoVs infecting the Rhinolophus sp. Surprisingly, the envelope gene of beta-CoVs infecting Rhinolophus sp., including SARS-CoV-2, had extremely high CpG levels, which appears to be an evolutionarily conserved trait. The dissection of the furin cleavage site of various CoVs infecting hosts revealed host-specific preferences for arginine codons; however, arginine is encoded by a wider variety of synonymous codons in the murine CoV (MHV-A59) furin cleavage site. Our findings also highlight the latent diversity of CoVs in mammals that has yet to be fully explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Rahul Kaushik
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; (R.K.); (K.Y.J.Z.)
| | - Chandana Tennakoon
- Bioinformatics, Sequencing & Proteomics Group, The Pirbright Institute, Woking GU24 0NF, UK;
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center ‘Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences’, Moscow Region, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Anamika Mishra
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Richa Sood
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Pratiksha Srivastava
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Meghna Tripathi
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
| | - Kam Y. J. Zhang
- Laboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; (R.K.); (K.Y.J.Z.)
| | - Sandeep Bhatia
- Zoonotic Diseases Group, ICAR—National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal 462022, India; (A.M.); (R.S.); (P.S.); (M.T.); (S.B.)
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21
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McGrath C. Synonymous but Not Equal: A Special Section and Virtual Issue on Phenotypic Effects of Synonymous Mutations. Genome Biol Evol 2021. [PMCID: PMC8410135 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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