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Marinus T, Foster TL, Tych KM. The application of single-molecule optical tweezers to study disease-related structural dynamics in RNA. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:899-909. [PMID: 38533854 PMCID: PMC11088911 DOI: 10.1042/bst20231232] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
RNA, a dynamic and flexible molecule with intricate three-dimensional structures, has myriad functions in disease development. Traditional methods, such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance, face limitations in capturing real-time, single-molecule dynamics crucial for understanding RNA function. This review explores the transformative potential of single-molecule force spectroscopy using optical tweezers, showcasing its capability to directly probe time-dependent structural rearrangements of individual RNA molecules. Optical tweezers offer versatility in exploring diverse conditions, with the potential to provide insights into how environmental changes, ligands and RNA-binding proteins impact RNA behaviour. By enabling real-time observations of large-scale structural dynamics, optical tweezers emerge as an invaluable tool for advancing our comprehension of RNA structure and function. Here, we showcase their application in elucidating the dynamics of RNA elements in virology, such as the pseudoknot governing ribosomal frameshifting in SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tycho Marinus
- Chemical Biology 1, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Toshana L. Foster
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD Loughborough, U.K
| | - Katarzyna M. Tych
- Chemical Biology 1, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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2
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Goldstein SA, Feeley TM, Babler KM, Hilbert ZA, Downhour DM, Moshiri N, Elde NC. Hidden evolutionary constraints dictate the retention of coronavirus accessory genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.12.561935. [PMID: 37873270 PMCID: PMC10592793 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.12.561935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Coronaviruses exhibit many mechanisms of genetic innovation (1-5), including the acquisition of accessory genes that originate by capture of cellular genes or through duplication of existing viral genes (6,7). Accessory genes influence viral host range and cellular tropism, but little is known about how selection acts on these variable regions of virus genomes. We used experimental evolution of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) encoding a cellular AKAP7 phosphodiesterase and an inactive native phosphodiesterase, NS2 (ref 8) to simulate the capture of a host gene and analyze its evolution. After courses of serial infection, the gene encoding inactive NS2, ORF2, unexpectedly remained intact, suggesting it is under cryptic constraint uncoupled from the function of NS2. In contrast, AKAP7 was retained under strong selection but rapidly lost under relaxed selection. Guided by the retention of ORF2 and similar patterns in related betacoronaviruses, we analyzed ORF8 of SARS-CoV-2, which arose via gene duplication6 and contains premature stop codons in several globally successful lineages. As with MHV ORF2, the coding-defective SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 gene remains largely intact, mirroring patterns observed during MHV experimental evolution, challenging assumptions on the dynamics of gene loss in virus genomes and extending these findings to viruses currently adapting to humans.
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3
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Kamran A, Li Y, Zhang W, Jiao Y, Farooq T, Wang Y, Liu D, Jiang L, Shen L, Wang F, Yang J. Insights into the genetic variability and evolutionary dynamics of tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus in China. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:40. [PMID: 38191299 PMCID: PMC10773106 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09951-9] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viral diseases are posing threat to annual production and quality of tobacco in China. Recently, tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) has been reported to infect three major crops including tobacco. Current study was aimed to investigate the population dynamics and molecular diversity of the TSWV. In the current study, to assess and identify the prevalence and evolutionary history of TSWV in tobacco crops in China, full-length genome sequences of TSWV isolates from tobacco, were identified and analyzed. METHODS After trimming and validation, sequences of new isolates were submitted to GenBank. We identified the full-length genomes of ten TSWV isolates, infecting tobacco plants from various regions of China. Besides these, six isolates were partially sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to assess the relativeness of newly identified sequences and corresponding sequences from GenBank. Recombination and population dynamics analysis was performed using RDP4, RAT, and statistical estimation. Reassortment analysis was performed using MegaX software. RESULTS Phylogenetic analysis of 41 newly identified sequences, depicted that the majority of the Chinese isolates have separate placement in the tree. RDP4 software predicted that RNA M of newly reported isolate YNKM-2 had a recombinant region spanning from 3111 to 3811 bp. The indication of parental sequences (YNKMXD and YNHHKY) from newly identified isolates, revealed the conservation of local TSWV population. Genetic diversity and population dynamics analysis also support the same trend. RNA M was highlighted to be more capable of mutating or evolving as revealed by data obtained from RDP4, RAT, population dynamics, and phylogenetic analyses. Reassortment analysis revealed that it might have happened in L segment of TSWV isolate YNKMXD (reported herein). CONCLUSION Taken together, this is the first detailed study revealing the pattern of TWSV genetic diversity, and population dynamics helping to better understand the ability of this pathogen to drastically reduce the tobacco production in China. Also, this is a valuable addition to the existing worldwide profile of TSWV, especially in China, where a few studies related to TSWV have been reported including only one complete genome of this virus isolated from tobacco plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Kamran
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, 550025, Guiyang, China
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China
| | - Wanhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China
| | - Yubin Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China
| | - Tahir Farooq
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Liangshan Company, 615000, Xichang, Sichuan, China
| | - Dongyang Liu
- Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Liangshan Company, 615000, Xichang, Sichuan, China
| | - Lianqiang Jiang
- Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Liangshan Company, 615000, Xichang, Sichuan, China
| | - Lili Shen
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China
| | - Fenglong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China.
| | - Jinguang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Pest Monitoring, Controlling & Integrated Management, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, China.
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4
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Bukhnikashvili L. Overlaps Between CDS Regions of Protein-Coding Genes in the Human Genome: A Case Study on the NR1D1-THRA Gene Pair. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:963-975. [PMID: 38006429 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10147-8] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, it has been known that a substantial number of genes within human DNA exhibit overlap; however, the biological and evolutionary significance of these overlaps remain poorly understood. This study focused on investigating specific instances of overlap where the overlapping DNA region encompasses the coding DNA sequences (CDSs) of protein-coding genes. The results revealed that proteins encoded by overlapping CDSs exhibit greater disorder than those from nonoverlapping CDSs. Additionally, these DNA regions were identified as GC-rich. This could be partially attributed to the absence of stop codons from two distinct reading frames rather than one. Furthermore, these regions were found to harbour fewer single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites, possibly due to constraints arising from the overlapping state where mutations could affect two genes simultaneously.While elucidating these properties, the NR1D1-THRA gene pair emerged as an exceptional case with highly structured proteins and a distinctly conserved sequence across eutherian mammals. Both NR1D1 and THRA are nuclear receptors lacking a ligand-binding domain at their C-terminus, which is the region where these gene pairs overlap. The NR1D1 gene is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythm, while the THRA gene encodes a thyroid hormone receptor, and both play crucial roles in various physiological processes. This study suggests that, in addition to their well-established functions, the specifically overlapping CDS regions of these genes may encode protein segments with additional, yet undiscovered, biological roles.
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Pezzotti G, Ohgitani E, Fujita Y, Imamura H, Pappone F, Grillo A, Nakashio M, Shin-Ya M, Adachi T, Yamamoto T, Kanamura N, Marin E, Zhu W, Inaba T, Tanino Y, Nukui Y, Higasa K, Yasukochi Y, Okuma K, Mazda O. Raman Fingerprints of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants: Molecular Roots of Virological Characteristics and Evolutionary Directions. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2226-2251. [PMID: 37850869 PMCID: PMC10644350 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00312] [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: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
The latest RNA genomic mutation of SARS-CoV-2 virus, termed the Omicron variant, has generated a stream of highly contagious and antibody-resistant strains, which in turn led to classifying Omicron as a variant of concern. We systematically collected Raman spectra from six Omicron subvariants available in Japan (i.e., BA.1.18, BA.2, BA.4, BA.5, XE, and BA.2.75) and applied machine-learning algorithms to decrypt their structural characteristics at the molecular scale. Unique Raman fingerprints of sulfur-containing amino acid rotamers, RNA purines and pyrimidines, tyrosine phenol ring configurations, and secondary protein structures clearly differentiated the six Omicron subvariants. These spectral characteristics, which were linked to infectiousness, transmissibility, and propensity for immune evasion, revealed evolutionary motifs to be compared with the outputs of genomic studies. The availability of a Raman "metabolomic snapshot", which was then translated into a barcode to enable a prompt subvariant identification, opened the way to rationalize in real-time SARS-CoV-2 activity and variability. As a proof of concept, we applied the Raman barcode procedure to a nasal swab sample retrieved from a SARS-CoV-2 patient and identified its Omicron subvariant by coupling a commercially available magnetic bead technology with our newly developed Raman analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Pezzotti
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0023 Tokyo, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Molecular Science and Nanosystems, Ca’
Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Eriko Ohgitani
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yuki Fujita
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Hayata Imamura
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Francesco Pappone
- Department
of Mathematical Science, Politecnico di
Torino, Corso Duca degli
Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Alfio Grillo
- Department
of Mathematical Science, Politecnico di
Torino, Corso Duca degli
Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Maiko Nakashio
- Department
of Infection Control & Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Masaharu Shin-Ya
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Adachi
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Department
of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University,
School of Medicine, 2-5-1
Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
| | - Toshiro Yamamoto
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Narisato Kanamura
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Elia Marin
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
- Department
of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Wenliang Zhu
- Ceramic
Physics Laboratory, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Sakyo-ku, Matsugasaki, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Tohru Inaba
- Department
of Infection Control & Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoko Tanino
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University
Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yoko Nukui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, University
Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Koichiro Higasa
- Genome Analysis, Institute of Biomedical
Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Yasukochi
- Genome Analysis, Institute of Biomedical
Science, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1 Shin-machi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan
| | - Kazu Okuma
- Department
of Microbiology, Kansai Medical University,
School of Medicine, 2-5-1
Shinmachi, Hirakata 573-1010, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
| | - Osam Mazda
- Department
of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyo-ku, 465 Kajii-cho, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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6
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Mabry ME, Fanelli A, Mavian C, Lorusso A, Manes C, Soltis PS, Capua I. The panzootic potential of SARS-CoV-2. Bioscience 2023; 73:814-829. [PMID: 38125826 PMCID: PMC10728779 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biad102] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Each year, SARS-CoV-2 is infecting an increasingly unprecedented number of species. In the present article, we combine mammalian phylogeny with the genetic characteristics of isolates found in mammals to elaborate on the host-range potential of SARS-CoV-2. Infections in nonhuman mammals mirror those of contemporary viral strains circulating in humans, although, in certain species, extensive viral circulation has led to unique genetic signatures. As in other recent studies, we found that the conservation of the ACE2 receptor cannot be considered the sole major determinant of susceptibility. However, we are able to identify major clades and families as candidates for increased surveillance. On the basis of our findings, we argue that the use of the term panzootic could be a more appropriate term than pandemic to describe the ongoing scenario. This term better captures the magnitude of the SARS-CoV-2 host range and would hopefully inspire inclusive policy actions, including systematic screenings, that could better support the management of this worldwide event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makenzie E Mabry
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Angela Fanelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Carla Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens Institute and with the Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Alessio Lorusso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Teramo, Italy
| | - Costanza Manes
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and with the One Health Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Pamela S Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Ilaria Capua
- One Health Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
- School of International Advanced Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Bologna, Italy
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7
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Bardossy ES, Volpe S, Alvarez DE, Filomatori CV. A conserved Y-shaped RNA structure in the 3'UTR of chikungunya virus genome as a host-specialized element that modulates viral replication and evolution. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011352. [PMID: 37126493 PMCID: PMC10174580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA viral genomes compact information into functional RNA structures. Here, using chikungunya virus as a model, we investigated the structural requirements of conserved RNA elements in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) for viral replication in mosquito and mammalian cells. Using structural predictions and co-variation analysis, we identified a highly stable and conserved Y-shaped structure (SLY) at the end of the 3'UTR that is duplicated in the Asian lineage. Functional studies with mutant viruses showed that the SLY has host-specific functions during viral replication and evolution. The SLY positively modulates viral replication in mosquito cells but has the opposite effect in mammalian cells. Additional structural/functional analyses showed that maintaining the Y-shaped fold and specific nucleotides in the loop are critical for full SLY functionality and optimal viral replication in mosquito cells. Experimental adaptation of viruses with duplicated SLYs to mammalian cells resulted in the generation of heterogeneous viral populations comprising variants with diverse 3'UTRs, contrasting with the homogeneous populations from viruses without SLY copies. Altogether, our findings constitute the first evidence of an RNA secondary structure in the 3'UTR of chikungunya virus genome that plays host-dependent functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Soledad Bardossy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología, Universidad de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sebastiano Volpe
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología, Universidad de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego Ezequiel Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología, Universidad de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia Verónica Filomatori
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología, Universidad de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Šimičić P, Židovec-Lepej S. A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2022; 15:1. [PMID: 36680042 PMCID: PMC9866536 DOI: 10.3390/v15010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses are characterised by extremely high genetic variability due to fast replication, large population size, low fidelity, and (usually) a lack of proofreading mechanisms of RNA polymerases leading to high mutation rates. Furthermore, viral recombination and reassortment may act as a significant evolutionary force among viruses contributing to greater genetic diversity than obtainable by mutation alone. The above-mentioned properties allow for the rapid evolution of RNA viruses, which may result in difficulties in viral eradication, changes in virulence and pathogenicity, and lead to events such as cross-species transmissions, which are matters of great interest in the light of current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemics. In this review, we aim to explore the molecular mechanisms of the variability of viral RNA genomes, emphasising the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Furthermore, the causes and consequences of coronavirus variation are explored, along with theories on the origin of human coronaviruses and features of emergent RNA viruses in general. Finally, we summarise the current knowledge on the circulating variants of concern and highlight the many unknowns regarding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Snježana Židovec-Lepej
- Department of Immunological and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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9
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Burnim AA, Xu D, Spence MA, Jackson CJ, Ando N. Analysis of insertions and extensions in the functional evolution of the ribonucleotide reductase family. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4483. [PMID: 36307939 PMCID: PMC9669993 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are used by all free-living organisms and many viruses to catalyze an essential step in the de novo biosynthesis of DNA precursors. RNRs are remarkably diverse by primary sequence and cofactor requirement, while sharing a conserved fold and radical-based mechanism for nucleotide reduction. In this work, we expand on our recent phylogenetic inference of the entire RNR family and describe the evolutionarily relatedness of insertions and extensions around the structurally homologous catalytic barrel. Using evo-velocity and sequence similarity network (SSN) analyses, we show that the N-terminal regulatory motif known as the ATP-cone domain was likely inherited from an ancestral RNR. By combining SSN analysis with AlphaFold2 predictions, we also show that the C-terminal extensions of class II RNRs can contain folded domains that share homology with an Fe-S cluster assembly protein. Finally, using sequence analysis and AlphaFold2, we show that the sequence motif of a catalytically essential insertion known as the finger loop is tightly coupled to the catalytic mechanism. Based on these results, we propose an evolutionary model for the diversification of the RNR family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A. Burnim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Da Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Matthew A. Spence
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Colin J. Jackson
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
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10
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Warsaba R, Salcedo-Porras N, Flibotte S, Jan E. Expansion of viral genomes with viral protein genome linked copies. Virology 2022; 577:174-184. [PMID: 36395539 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.10.012] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Virus protein-linked genome (VPg) proteins are required for replication. VPgs are duplicated in a subset of RNA viruses however their roles are not fully understood and the extent of viral genomes containing VPg copies has not been investigated in detail. Here, we generated a novel bioinformatics approach to identify VPg sequences in viral genomes using hidden Markov models (HMM) based on alignments of dicistrovirus VPg sequences. From metagenomic datasets of dicistrovirus genomes, we identified 717 dicistrovirus genomes containing VPgs ranging from a single copy to 8 tandem copies. The VPgs are classified into nine distinct types based on their sequence and length. The VPg types but not VPg numbers per viral genome followed specific virus clades, thus suggesting VPgs co-evolved with viral genomes. We also identified VPg duplications in aquamavirus and mosavirus genomes. This study greatly expands the number of viral genomes that contain VPg copies and indicates that duplicated viral sequences are more widespread than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid Warsaba
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Nicolas Salcedo-Porras
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Stephane Flibotte
- Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; UBC/LSI Bioinformatics Facility, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Eric Jan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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11
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Liao M, Xie Y, Shi M, Cui J. Over two decades of research on the marine RNA virosphere. IMETA 2022; 1:e59. [PMID: 38867898 PMCID: PMC10989941 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
RNA viruses (realm: Riboviria), including RNA phages and eukaryote-infecting RNA viruses, are essential components of marine ecosystems. A large number of marine RNA viruses have been discovered in the last two decades because of the rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Indeed, the combination of NGS and state-of-the-art meta-omics methods (viromics, the study of all viruses in a specific environment) has led to a fundamental understanding of the taxonomy and genetic diversity of RNA viruses in the sea, suggesting the complex ecological roles played by RNA viruses in this complex ecosystem. Furthermore, comparisons of viromes in the context of highly variable marine niches reveal the biogeographic patterns and ecological impact of marine RNA viruses, whose role in global ecology is becoming increasingly clearer. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of the global marine RNA virosphere and outline the taxonomic hierarchy of RNA viruses with a specific focus on their ancient evolutionary history. We also review the development of methodology and the major progress resulting from its applications in RNA viromics. The aim of this review is not only to provide an in-depth understanding of multifaceted aspects of marine RNA viruses, but to offer future perspectives on developing a better methodology for discovery, and exploring the evolutionary origin and major ecological significance of marine RNA virosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng‐en Liao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Center for Biosafety Mega‐ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yunyi Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Center for Biosafety Mega‐ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mang Shi
- School of MedicineSun Yat‐sen UniversityShenzhen Campus of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Jie Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Center for Biosafety Mega‐ScienceChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- Laboatory for Marine Biology and BiotechnologyPilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao)QingdaoChina
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12
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Poignavent V, Hoh F, Terral G, Yang Y, Gillet FX, Kim JH, Allemand F, Lacombe E, Brugidou C, Cianferani S, Déméné H, Vignols F. A flexible and original architecture of two unrelated zinc fingers underlies the role of the multitask P1 in RYMV spread. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167715. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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13
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Abstract
Microfluidics has enabled a new era of cellular and molecular assays due to the small length scales, parallelization, and the modularity of various analysis and actuation functions. Droplet microfluidics, in particular, has been instrumental in providing new tools for biology with its ability to quickly and reproducibly generate drops that act as individual reactors. A notable beneficiary of this technology has been single-cell RNA sequencing, which has revealed new heterogeneities and interactions for the fundamental unit of life. However, viruses far surpass the diversity of cellular life, affect the dynamics of all ecosystems, and are a chronic source of global health crises. Despite their impact on the world, high-throughput and high-resolution viral profiling has been difficult, with conventional methods being limited to population-level averaging, large sample volumes, and few cultivable hosts. Consequently, most viruses have not been identified and studied. Droplet microfluidics holds the potential to address many of these limitations and offers new levels of sensitivity and throughput for virology. This Feature highlights recent efforts that have applied droplet microfluidics to the detection and study of viruses, including for diagnostics, virus-host interactions, and cell-independent virus assays. In combination with traditional virology methods, droplet microfluidics should prove a potent tool toward achieving a better understanding of the most abundant biological species on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyang Jing
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hee-Sun Han
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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14
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Ramos-González PL, Chabi-Jesus C, Tassi AD, Calegario RF, Harakava R, Nome CF, Kitajima EW, Freitas-Astua J. A Novel Lineage of Cile-Like Viruses Discloses the Phylogenetic Continuum Across the Family Kitaviridae. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:836076. [PMID: 35418952 PMCID: PMC8996159 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.836076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of plant species have been recognized or considered likely reservoirs of viruses transmitted by Brevipalpus mites. A tiny fraction of these viruses, primarily those causing severe economic burden to prominent crops, have been fully characterized. In this study, based on high-throughput sequencing, transmission electron microscopy analyses of virions in plant-infected tissues, viral transmission experiments, and the morphoanatomical identification of the involved Brevipalpus mites, we describe molecular and biological features of viruses representing three new tentative species of the family Kitaviridae. The genomes of Solanum violifolium ringspot virus (SvRSV, previously partially characterized), Ligustrum chlorotic spot virus (LigCSV), and Ligustrum leprosis virus (LigLV) have five open reading frames (ORFs) > 500 nts, two distributed in RNA1 and three in RNA2. RNA1 of these three viruses display the same genomic organization found in RNA1 of typical cileviruses, while their RNA2 are shorter, possessing only orthologs of genes p61, p32, and p24. LigCSV and LigLV are more closely related to each other than to SvRSV, but the identities between their genomic RNAs were lower than 70%. In gene-by-gene comparisons, ORFs from LigCSV and LigLV had the highest sequence identity values (nt sequences: 70–76% and deduced amino acid sequences: 74–83%). The next higher identity values were with ORFs from typical cileviruses, with values below 66%. Virions of LigLV (≈ 40 nm × 55 nm) and LigCSV (≈ 54 nm × 66 nm) appear almost spherical, contrasting with the bacilliform shape of SvRSV virions (≈ 47 nm × 101 nm). Mites collected from the virus-infected plants were identified as Brevipalpus papayensis, B. tucuman, and B. obovatus. Viruliferous B. papayensis mites successfully transmitted LigCSV to Arabidopsis thaliana. SvRSV, LigCSV, and LigLV seem to represent novel sub-lineages of kitaviruses that descent on parallel evolutionary branches from a common ancestor shared with the tentative cile-like virus hibiscus yellow blotch virus and typical cileviruses. Biological and molecular data, notably, the phylogenetic reconstruction based on the RdRp proteins in which strong support for monophyly of the family Kitaviridae is observed, mark an advance in the understanding of kitavirids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L Ramos-González
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Chabi-Jesus
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Aline D Tassi
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Renata Faier Calegario
- Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitossanidade, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Harakava
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia F Nome
- Instituto de Patologia Vegetal, Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Elliot W Kitajima
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
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15
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Muñoz-Baena L, Poon AFY. Using networks to analyze and visualize the distribution of overlapping genes in virus genomes. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010331. [PMID: 35202429 PMCID: PMC8903798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene overlap occurs when two or more genes are encoded by the same nucleotides. This phenomenon is found in all taxonomic domains, but is particularly common in viruses, where it may increase the information content of compact genomes or influence the creation of new genes. Here we report a global comparative study of overlapping open reading frames (OvRFs) of 12,609 virus reference genomes in the NCBI database. We retrieved metadata associated with all annotated open reading frames (ORFs) in each genome record to calculate the number, length, and frameshift of OvRFs. Our results show that while the number of OvRFs increases with genome length, they tend to be shorter in longer genomes. The majority of overlaps involve +2 frameshifts, predominantly found in dsDNA viruses. Antisense overlaps in which one of the ORFs was encoded in the same frame on the opposite strand (−0) tend to be longer. Next, we develop a new graph-based representation of the distribution of overlaps among the ORFs of genomes in a given virus family. In the absence of an unambiguous partition of ORFs by homology at this taxonomic level, we used an alignment-free k-mer based approach to cluster protein coding sequences by similarity. We connect these clusters with two types of directed edges to indicate (1) that constituent ORFs are adjacent in one or more genomes, and (2) that these ORFs overlap. These adjacency graphs not only provide a natural visualization scheme, but also a novel statistical framework for analyzing the effects of gene- and genome-level attributes on the frequencies of overlaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Muñoz-Baena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Art F. Y. Poon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- * E-mail:
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16
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Galkin SO, Anisenko AN, Shadrina OA, Gottikh MB. Genetic Engineering Systems to Study Human Viral Pathogens from the Coronaviridae Family. Mol Biol 2022; 56:72-89. [PMID: 35194246 PMCID: PMC8853348 DOI: 10.1134/s0026893322010022] [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: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the previously unknown SARS-CoV-2 Betacoronavirus made it extremely important to develop simple and safe cellular systems which allow manipulation of the viral genome and high-throughput screening of its potential inhibitors. In this review, we made an attempt at summarizing the currently existing data on genetic engineering systems used to study not only SARS-CoV-2, but also other viruses from the Coronaviridae family. In addition, the review covers the basic knowledge about the structure and the life cycle of coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. O. Galkin
- Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - A. N. Anisenko
- Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - O. A. Shadrina
- Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - M. B. Gottikh
- Chemistry Department, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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17
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Gene Overlapping as a Modulator of Begomovirus Evolution. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020366. [PMID: 35208820 PMCID: PMC8875319 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In RNA viruses, which have high mutation—and fast evolutionary— rates, gene overlapping (i.e., genomic regions that encode more than one protein) is a major factor controlling mutational load and therefore the virus evolvability. Although DNA viruses use host high-fidelity polymerases for their replication, and therefore should have lower mutation rates, it has been shown that some of them have evolutionary rates comparable to those of RNA viruses. Notably, these viruses have large proportions of their genes with at least one overlapping instance. Hence, gene overlapping could be a modulator of virus evolution beyond the RNA world. To test this hypothesis, we use the genus Begomovirus of plant viruses as a model. Through comparative genomic approaches, we show that terminal gene overlapping decreases the rate of virus evolution, which is associated with lower frequency of both synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations. In contrast, terminal overlapping has little effect on the pace of virus evolution. Overall, our analyses support a role for gene overlapping in the evolution of begomoviruses and provide novel information on the factors that shape their genetic diversity.
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18
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Pavesi A, Romerio F. Extending the Coding Potential of Viral Genomes with Overlapping Antisense ORFs: A Case for the De Novo Creation of the Gene Encoding the Antisense Protein ASP of HIV-1. Viruses 2022; 14:v14010146. [PMID: 35062351 PMCID: PMC8781085 DOI: 10.3390/v14010146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene overprinting occurs when point mutations within a genomic region with an existing coding sequence create a new one in another reading frame. This process is quite frequent in viral genomes either to maximize the amount of information that they encode or in response to strong selective pressure. The most frequent scenario involves two different reading frames in the same DNA strand (sense overlap). Much less frequent are cases of overlapping genes that are encoded on opposite DNA strands (antisense overlap). One such example is the antisense ORF, asp in the minus strand of the HIV-1 genome overlapping the env gene. The asp gene is highly conserved in pandemic HIV-1 strains of group M, and it is absent in non-pandemic HIV-1 groups, HIV-2, and lentiviruses infecting non-human primates, suggesting that the ~190-amino acid protein that is expressed from this gene (ASP) may play a role in virus spread. While the function of ASP in the virus life cycle remains to be elucidated, mounting evidence from several research groups indicates that ASP is expressed in vivo. There are two alternative hypotheses that could be envisioned to explain the origin of the asp ORF. On one hand, asp may have originally been present in the ancestor of contemporary lentiviruses, and subsequently lost in all descendants except for most HIV-1 strains of group M due to selective advantage. Alternatively, the asp ORF may have originated very recently with the emergence of group M HIV-1 strains from SIVcpz. Here, we used a combination of computational and statistical approaches to study the genomic region of env in primate lentiviruses to shed light on the origin, structure, and sequence evolution of the asp ORF. The results emerging from our studies support the hypothesis of a recent de novo addition of the antisense ORF to the HIV-1 genome through a process that entailed progressive removal of existing internal stop codons from SIV strains to HIV-1 strains of group M, and fine tuning of the codon sequence in env that reduced the chances of new stop codons occurring in asp. Altogether, the study supports the notion that the HIV-1 asp gene encodes an accessory protein, providing a selective advantage to the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Pavesi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy;
| | - Fabio Romerio
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2196, USA
- Correspondence:
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19
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Abstract
Modern genome-scale methods that identify new genes, such as proteogenomics and ribosome profiling, have revealed, to the surprise of many, that overlap in genes, open reading frames and even coding sequences is widespread and functionally integrated into prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral genomes. In parallel, the constraints that overlapping regions place on genome sequences and their evolution can be harnessed in bioengineering to build more robust synthetic strains and constructs. With a focus on overlapping protein-coding and RNA-coding genes, this Review examines their discovery, topology and biogenesis in the context of their genome biology. We highlight exciting new uses for sequence overlap to control translation, compress synthetic genetic constructs, and protect against mutation.
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20
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Wichmann S, Scherer S, Ardern Z. Biological factors in the synthetic construction of overlapping genes. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:888. [PMID: 34895142 PMCID: PMC8665328 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08181-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overlapping genes (OLGs) with long protein-coding overlapping sequences are disallowed by standard genome annotation programs, outside of viruses. Recently however they have been discovered in Archaea, diverse Bacteria, and Mammals. The biological factors underlying life's ability to create overlapping genes require more study, and may have important applications in understanding evolution and in biotechnology. A previous study claimed that protein domains from viruses were much better suited to forming overlaps than those from other cellular organisms - in this study we assessed this claim, in order to discover what might underlie taxonomic differences in the creation of gene overlaps. RESULTS After overlapping arbitrary Pfam domain pairs and evaluating them with Hidden Markov Models we find OLG construction to be much less constrained than expected. For instance, close to 10% of the constructed sequences cannot be distinguished from typical sequences in their protein family. Most are also indistinguishable from natural protein sequences regarding identity and secondary structure. Surprisingly, contrary to a previous study, virus domains were much less suitable for designing OLGs than bacterial or eukaryotic domains were. In general, the amount of amino acid change required to force a domain to overlap is approximately equal to the variation observed within a typical domain family. The resulting high similarity between natural sequences and those altered so as to overlap is mostly due to the combination of high redundancy in the genetic code and the evolutionary exchangeability of many amino acids. CONCLUSIONS Synthetic overlapping genes which closely resemble natural gene sequences, as measured by HMM profiles, are remarkably easy to construct, and most arbitrary domain pairs can be altered so as to overlap while retaining high similarity to the original sequences. Future work however will need to assess important factors not considered such as intragenic interactions which affect protein folding. While the analysis here is not sufficient to guarantee functional folding proteins, further analysis of constructed OLGs will improve our understanding of the origin of these remarkable genetic elements across life and opens up exciting possibilities for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Wichmann
- Chair of Microbial Ecology, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Siegfried Scherer
- Chair of Microbial Ecology, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Zachary Ardern
- Chair of Microbial Ecology, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
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21
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Oberemok VV, Puzanova YV, Kubyshkin AV, Kamenetsky-Goldstein R. Top Three Strategies of ss(+)RNA Plant Viruses: Great Opportunists and Ecosystem Tuners with a Small Genome. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112304. [PMID: 34835110 PMCID: PMC8620770 DOI: 10.3390/v13112304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
ss(+)RNA viruses represent the dominant group of plant viruses. They owe their evolutionary superiority to the large number of mutations that occur during replication, courtesy of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Natural selection rewards successful viral subtypes, whose effective tuning of the ecosystem regulates the interactions between its participants. Thus, ss(+)RNA viruses act as shuttles for the functionally important genes of the participants in symbiotic relationships within the ecosystem, of which the most common ecological triad is “plant–virus–insect”. Due to their short life cycle and large number of offspring, RNA viruses act as skillful tuners of the ecosystem, which benefits both viruses and the system as a whole. A fundamental understanding of this aspect of the role played by viruses in the ecosystem makes it possible to apply this knowledge to the creation of DNA insecticides. In fact, since the genes that viruses are involved in transferring are functionally important for both insects and plants, silencing these genes (for example, in insects) can be used to regulate the pest population. RNA viruses are increasingly treated not as micropathogens but as necessary regulators of ecosystem balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volodymyr V. Oberemok
- Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies Lab, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol 295007, Russia;
- Laboratory of Entomology and Phytopathology, Nikitsky Botanical Garden, National Scientific Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yalta 298648, Russia
| | - Yelizaveta V. Puzanova
- Molecular Genetics and Biotechnologies Lab, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol 295007, Russia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-(978)-500-67-58
| | - Anatoly V. Kubyshkin
- Department of General and Clinical Pathophysiology, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol 295006, Russia;
| | - Rina Kamenetsky-Goldstein
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel;
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22
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Computational methods for inferring location and genealogy of overlapping genes in virus genomes: approaches and applications. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 52:1-8. [PMID: 34798370 PMCID: PMC8594276 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.10.009] [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: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Viruses may evolve to increase the amount of encoded genetic information by means of overlapping genes, which utilize several reading frames. Such overlapping genes may be especially impactful for genomes of small size, often serving a source of novel accessory proteins, some of which play a crucial role in viral pathogenicity or in promoting the systemic spread of virus. Diverse genome-based metrics were proposed to facilitate recognition of overlapping genes that otherwise may be overlooked during genome annotation. They can detect the atypical codon bias associated with the overlap (e.g. a statistically significant reduction in variability at synonymous sites) or other sequence-composition features peculiar to overlapping genes. In this review, I compare nine computational methods, discuss their strengths and limitations, and survey how they were applied to detect candidate overlapping genes in the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of COVID-19 pandemic.
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23
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Ramos-González PL, Pons T, Chabi-Jesus C, Arena GD, Freitas-Astua J. Poorly Conserved P15 Proteins of Cileviruses Retain Elements of Common Ancestry and Putative Functionality: A Theoretical Assessment on the Evolution of Cilevirus Genomes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:771983. [PMID: 34804105 PMCID: PMC8602818 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.771983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The genus Cilevirus groups enveloped single-stranded (+) RNA virus members of the family Kitaviridae, order Martellivirales. Proteins P15, scarcely conserved polypeptides encoded by cileviruses, have no apparent homologs in public databases. Accordingly, the open reading frames (ORFs) p15, located at the 5'-end of the viral RNA2 molecules, are considered orphan genes (ORFans). In this study, we have delved into ORFs p15 and the relatively poorly understood biochemical properties of the proteins P15 to posit their importance for viruses across the genus and theorize on their origin. We detected that the ORFs p15 are under purifying selection and that, in some viral strains, the use of synonymous codons is biased, which might be a sign of adaptation to their plant hosts. Despite the high amino acid sequence divergence, proteins P15 show the conserved motif [FY]-L-x(3)-[FL]-H-x-x-[LIV]-S-C-x-C-x(2)-C-x-G-x-C, which occurs exclusively in members of this protein family. Proteins P15 also show a common predicted 3D structure that resembles the helical scaffold of the protein ORF49 encoded by radinoviruses and the phosphoprotein C-terminal domain of mononegavirids. Based on the 3D structural similarities of P15, we suggest elements of common ancestry, conserved functionality, and relevant amino acid residues. We conclude by postulating a plausible evolutionary trajectory of ORFans p15 and the 5'-end of the RNA2 of cileviruses considering both protein fold superpositions and comparative genomic analyses with the closest kitaviruses, negeviruses, nege/kita-like viruses, and unrelated viruses that share the ecological niches of cileviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro L. Ramos-González
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tirso Pons
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Camila Chabi-Jesus
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Dias Arena
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Freitas-Astua
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, Cruz das Almas, Brazil
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24
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Beloukas A, Rampias T. Biological and Clinical Significance of Adaptive Evolution of Coronaviruses. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111129. [PMID: 34833006 PMCID: PMC8617743 DOI: 10.3390/life11111129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Beloukas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (T.R.)
| | - Theodoros Rampias
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Basic Research Center, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (T.R.)
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25
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DeLong JP, Al-Sammak MA, Al-Ameeli ZT, Dunigan DD, Edwards KF, Fuhrmann JJ, Gleghorn JP, Li H, Haramoto K, Harrison AO, Marston MF, Moore RM, Polson SW, Ferrell BD, Salsbery ME, Schvarcz CR, Shirazi J, Steward GF, Van Etten JL, Wommack KE. Towards an integrative view of virus phenotypes. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 20:83-94. [PMID: 34522049 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00612-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how phenotypes emerge from genotypes is a foundational goal in biology. As challenging as this task is when considering cellular life, it is further complicated in the case of viruses. During replication, a virus as a discrete entity (the virion) disappears and manifests itself as a metabolic amalgam between the virus and the host (the virocell). Identifying traits that unambiguously constitute a virus's phenotype is straightforward for the virion, less so for the virocell. Here, we present a framework for categorizing virus phenotypes that encompasses both virion and virocell stages and considers functional and performance traits of viruses in the context of fitness. Such an integrated view of virus phenotype is necessary for comprehensive interpretation of viral genome sequences and will advance our understanding of viral evolution and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P DeLong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Maitham A Al-Sammak
- Tropical Biological Research Unit, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.,Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Zeina T Al-Ameeli
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.,Medical Technical Institutes, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - David D Dunigan
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kyle F Edwards
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jeffry J Fuhrmann
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Jason P Gleghorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Hanqun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Kona Haramoto
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Amelia O Harrison
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Marcia F Marston
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, USA
| | - Ryan M Moore
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Shawn W Polson
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Barbra D Ferrell
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.,Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Miranda E Salsbery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | | | - Jasmine Shirazi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Grieg F Steward
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - James L Van Etten
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - K Eric Wommack
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA. .,Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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26
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Charon J, Murray S, Holmes EC. Revealing RNA virus diversity and evolution in unicellular algae transcriptomes. Virus Evol 2021; 7:veab070. [PMID: 36819971 PMCID: PMC9927876 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veab070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Remarkably little is known about the diversity and evolution of RNA viruses in unicellular eukaryotes. We screened a total of 570 transcriptomes from the Marine Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project that encompasses a wide diversity of microbial eukaryotes, including most major photosynthetic lineages (i.e. the microalgae). From this, we identified thirty new and divergent RNA virus species, occupying a range of phylogenetic positions within the overall diversity of RNA viruses. Approximately one-third of the newly described viruses comprised single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses from the order Lenarviricota associated with fungi, plants, and protists, while another third were related to the order Ghabrivirales, including members of the protist and fungi-associated Totiviridae. Other viral species showed sequence similarity to positive-sense RNA viruses from the algae-associated Marnaviridae, the double-stranded RNA (ds-RNA) Partitiviridae, as well as tentative evidence for one negative-sense RNA virus related to the Qinviridae. Importantly, we were able to identify divergent RNA viruses from distant host taxa, revealing the ancestry of these viral families and greatly extending our knowledge of the RNA viromes of microalgal cultures. Both the limited number of viruses detected per sample and the low sequence identity to known RNA viruses imply that additional microalgal viruses exist that could not be detected at the current sequencing depth or were too divergent to be identified using sequence similarity. Together, these results highlight the need for further investigation of algal-associated RNA viruses as well as the development of new tools to identify RNA viruses that exhibit very high levels of sequence divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Charon
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Shauna Murray
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
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27
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Pavesi A. Origin, Evolution and Stability of Overlapping Genes in Viruses: A Systematic Review. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12060809. [PMID: 34073395 PMCID: PMC8227390 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During their long evolutionary history viruses generated many proteins de novo by a mechanism called “overprinting”. Overprinting is a process in which critical nucleotide substitutions in a pre-existing gene can induce the expression of a novel protein by translation of an alternative open reading frame (ORF). Overlapping genes represent an intriguing example of adaptive conflict, because they simultaneously encode two proteins whose freedom to change is constrained by each other. However, overlapping genes are also a source of genetic novelties, as the constraints under which alternative ORFs evolve can give rise to proteins with unusual sequence properties, most importantly the potential for novel functions. Starting with the discovery of overlapping genes in phages infecting Escherichia coli, this review covers a range of studies dealing with detection of overlapping genes in small eukaryotic viruses (genomic length below 30 kb) and recognition of their critical role in the evolution of pathogenicity. Origin of overlapping genes, what factors favor their birth and retention, and how they manage their inherent adaptive conflict are extensively reviewed. Special attention is paid to the assembly of overlapping genes into ad hoc databases, suitable for future studies, and to the development of statistical methods for exploring viral genome sequences in search of undiscovered overlaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Pavesi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 23/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy
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28
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Gholizadeh Z, Iqbal MS, Li R, Romerio F. The HIV-1 Antisense Gene ASP: The New Kid on the Block. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9050513. [PMID: 34067514 PMCID: PMC8156140 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9050513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses have developed incredibly creative ways of making a virtue out of necessity, including taking full advantage of their small genomes. Indeed, viruses often encode multiple proteins within the same genomic region by using two or more reading frames in both orientations through a process called overprinting. Complex retroviruses provide compelling examples of that. The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome expresses sixteen proteins from nine genes that are encoded in the three positive-sense reading frames. In addition, the genome of some HIV-1 strains contains a tenth gene in one of the negative-sense reading frames. The so-called Antisense Protein (ASP) gene overlaps the HIV-1 Rev Response Element (RRE) and the envelope glycoprotein gene, and encodes a highly hydrophobic protein of ~190 amino acids. Despite being identified over thirty years ago, relatively few studies have investigated the role that ASP may play in the virus lifecycle, and its expression in vivo is still questioned. Here we review the current knowledge about ASP, and we discuss some of the many unanswered questions.
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29
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Cagliani R, Mozzi A, Pontremoli C, Sironi M. Evolution and Origin of Human Viruses. Virology 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119818526.ch8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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30
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Nelson CW, Ardern Z, Wei X. OLGenie: Estimating Natural Selection to Predict Functional Overlapping Genes. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 37:2440-2449. [PMID: 32243542 PMCID: PMC7531306 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purifying (negative) natural selection is a hallmark of functional biological sequences, and can be detected in protein-coding genes using the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions per site (dN/dS). However, when two genes overlap the same nucleotide sites in different frames, synonymous changes in one gene may be nonsynonymous in the other, perturbing dN/dS. Thus, scalable methods are needed to estimate functional constraint specifically for overlapping genes (OLGs). We propose OLGenie, which implements a modification of the Wei–Zhang method. Assessment with simulations and controls from viral genomes (58 OLGs and 176 non-OLGs) demonstrates low false-positive rates and good discriminatory ability in differentiating true OLGs from non-OLGs. We also apply OLGenie to the unresolved case of HIV-1’s putative antisense protein gene, showing significant purifying selection. OLGenie can be used to study known OLGs and to predict new OLGs in genome annotation. Software and example data are freely available at https://github.com/chasewnelson/OLGenie (last accessed April 10, 2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase W Nelson
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.,Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Zachary Ardern
- Microbial Ecology, ZIEL-Institute for Food & Health, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Xinzhu Wei
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.,Department of Integrative Biology and Statistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA
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31
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The Picornavirus Precursor 3CD Has Different Conformational Dynamics Compared to 3C pro and 3D pol in Functionally Relevant Regions. Viruses 2021; 13:v13030442. [PMID: 33803479 PMCID: PMC8001691 DOI: 10.3390/v13030442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses have evolved numerous strategies to maximize the use of their limited genetic material, including proteolytic cleavage of polyproteins to yield products with different functions. The poliovirus polyprotein 3CD is involved in important protein-protein, protein-RNA and protein-lipid interactions in viral replication and infection. It is a precursor to the 3C protease and 3D RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, but has different protease specificity, is not an active polymerase, and participates in other interactions differently than its processed products. These functional differences are poorly explained by the known X-ray crystal structures. It has been proposed that functional differences might be due to differences in conformational dynamics between 3C, 3D and 3CD. To address this possibility, we conducted nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments, including multiple quantum relaxation dispersion, chemical exchange saturation transfer and methyl spin-spin relaxation, to probe conformational dynamics across multiple timescales. Indeed, these studies identified differences in conformational dynamics in functionally important regions, including enzyme active sites, and RNA and lipid binding sites. Expansion of the conformational ensemble available to 3CD may allow it to perform additional functions not observed in 3C and 3D alone despite having nearly identical lowest-energy structures.
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32
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Papoutsis A, Borody T, Dolai S, Daniels J, Steinberg S, Barrows B, Hazan S. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from patient fecal samples by whole genome sequencing. Gut Pathog 2021; 13:7. [PMID: 33516247 PMCID: PMC7846909 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-021-00398-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 has been detected not only in respiratory secretions, but also in stool collections. Here were sought to identify SARS-CoV-2 by enrichment next-generation sequencing (NGS) from fecal samples, and to utilize whole genome analysis to characterize SARS-CoV-2 mutational variations in COVID-19 patients. RESULTS Study participants underwent testing for SARS-CoV-2 from fecal samples by whole genome enrichment NGS (n = 14), and RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab analysis (n = 12). The concordance of SARS-CoV-2 detection by enrichment NGS from stools with RT-PCR nasopharyngeal analysis was 100%. Unique variants were identified in four patients, with a total of 33 different mutations among those in which SARS-CoV-2 was detected by whole genome enrichment NGS. CONCLUSION These results highlight the potential viability of SARS-CoV-2 in feces, its ongoing mutational accumulation, and its possible role in fecal-oral transmission. This study also elucidates the advantages of SARS-CoV-2 enrichment NGS, which may be a key methodology to document complete viral eradication. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04359836, Registered 24 April 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04359836?term=NCT04359836&draw=2&rank=1 ).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Siba Dolai
- Centre for Digestive Diseases, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Sabine Hazan
- ProgenaBiome, Ventura, CA, United States.,Ventura Clinical Trials, Ventura, CA, United States
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33
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Abstract
Many virus-encoded proteins have intrinsically disordered regions that lack a stable, folded three-dimensional structure. These disordered proteins often play important functional roles in virus replication, such as down-regulating host defense mechanisms. With the widespread availability of next-generation sequencing, the number of new virus genomes with predicted open reading frames is rapidly outpacing our capacity for directly characterizing protein structures through crystallography. Hence, computational methods for structural prediction play an important role. A large number of predictors focus on the problem of classifying residues into ordered and disordered regions, and these methods tend to be validated on a diverse training set of proteins from eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses. In this study, we investigate whether some predictors outperform others in the context of virus proteins and compared our findings with data from non-viral proteins. We evaluate the prediction accuracy of 21 methods, many of which are only available as web applications, on a curated set of 126 proteins encoded by viruses. Furthermore, we apply a random forest classifier to these predictor outputs. Based on cross-validation experiments, this ensemble approach confers a substantial improvement in accuracy, e.g., a mean 36 per cent gain in Matthews correlation coefficient. Lastly, we apply the random forest predictor to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ORF6, an accessory gene that encodes a short (61 AA) and moderately disordered protein that inhibits the host innate immune response. We show that disorder prediction methods perform differently for viral and non-viral proteins, and that an ensemble approach can yield more robust and accurate predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Almog
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Western University, Dental Sciences Building, Rm. 4044 London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1
| | - Abayomi S Olabode
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Western University, Dental Sciences Building, Rm. 4044 London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1
| | - Art F Y Poon
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Western University, Dental Sciences Building, Rm. 4044 London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C1.,Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University, Middlesex College Room 255, 1151 Richmond Street London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5B7.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K
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34
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Douglas J, Drummond AJ, Kingston RL. Evolutionary history of cotranscriptional editing in the paramyxoviral phosphoprotein gene. Virus Evol 2021; 7:veab028. [PMID: 34141448 PMCID: PMC8204654 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The phosphoprotein gene of the paramyxoviruses encodes multiple protein products. The P, V, and W proteins are generated by transcriptional slippage. This process results in the insertion of non-templated guanosine nucleosides into the mRNA at a conserved edit site. The P protein is an essential component of the viral RNA polymerase and is encoded by a faithful copy of the gene in the majority of paramyxoviruses. However, in some cases, the non-essential V protein is encoded by default and guanosines must be inserted into the mRNA in order to encode P. The number of guanosines inserted into the P gene can be described by a probability distribution, which varies between viruses. In this article, we review the nature of these distributions, which can be inferred from mRNA sequencing data, and reconstruct the evolutionary history of cotranscriptional editing in the paramyxovirus family. Our model suggests that, throughout known history of the family, the system has switched from a P default to a V default mode four times; complete loss of the editing system has occurred twice, the canonical zinc finger domain of the V protein has been deleted or heavily mutated a further two times, and the W protein has independently evolved a novel function three times. Finally, we review the physical mechanisms of cotranscriptional editing via slippage of the viral RNA polymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Douglas
- Centre for Computational Evolution, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Computer Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Alexei J Drummond
- Centre for Computational Evolution, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Richard L Kingston
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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35
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Wright BW, Ruan J, Molloy MP, Jaschke PR. Genome Modularization Reveals Overlapped Gene Topology Is Necessary for Efficient Viral Reproduction. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:3079-3090. [PMID: 33044064 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Sequence overlap between two genes is common across all genomes, with viruses having high proportions of these gene overlaps. Genome modularization and refactoring is the process of disrupting natural gene overlaps to separate coding sequences to enable their individual manipulation. The biological function and fitness effects of gene overlaps are not fully understood, and their effects on gene cluster and genome-level refactoring are unknown. The bacteriophage φX174 genome has ∼26% of nucleotides involved in encoding more than one gene. In this study we use an engineered φX174 phage containing a genome with all gene overlaps removed to show that gene overlap is critical to maintaining optimal viral fecundity. Through detailed phenotypic measurements we reveal that genome modularization in φX174 causes virion replication, stability, and attachment deficiencies. Quantitation of the complete phage proteome across an infection cycle reveals 30% of proteins display abnormal expression patterns. Taken together, we have for the first time comprehensively demonstrated that gene modularization severely perturbs the coordinated functioning of a bacteriophage replication cycle. This work highlights the biological importance of gene overlap in natural genomes and that reducing gene overlap disruption should be an integral part of future genome engineering projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley W. Wright
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Juanfang Ruan
- Electron Microscope Unit, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mark P. Molloy
- Kolling Institute, Northern Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Paul R. Jaschke
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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36
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Butković A, González R, Cobo I, Elena SF. Adaptation of turnip mosaic potyvirus to a specific niche reduces its genetic and environmental robustness. Virus Evol 2020; 6:veaa041. [PMID: 32782826 PMCID: PMC7409916 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Robustness is the preservation of the phenotype in the face of genetic and environmental perturbations. It has been argued that robustness must be an essential fitness component of RNA viruses owed to their small and compacted genomes, high mutation rates and living in ever-changing environmental conditions. Given that genetic robustness might hamper possible beneficial mutations, it has been suggested that genetic robustness can only evolve as a side-effect of the evolution of robustness mechanisms specific to cope with environmental perturbations, a theory known as plastogenetic congruence. However, empirical evidences from different viral systems are contradictory. To test how adaptation to a particular environment affects both environmental and genetic robustness, we have used two strains of turnip mosaic potyvirus (TuMV) that differ in their degree of adaptation to Arabidopsis thaliana at a permissive temperature. We show that the highly adapted strain is strongly sensitive to the effect of random mutations and to changes in temperature conditions. In contrast, the non-adapted strain shows more robustness against both the accumulation of random mutations and drastic changes in temperature conditions. Together, these results are consistent with the predictions of the plastogenetic congruence theory, suggesting that genetic and environmental robustnesses may be two sides of the same coin for TuMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamarija Butković
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Parc Cientific UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rubén González
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Parc Cientific UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Inés Cobo
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Parc Cientific UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago F Elena
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas (I2SysBio), CSIC-Universitat de València, Parc Cientific UV, Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain.,The Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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37
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Pavesi A. New insights into the evolutionary features of viral overlapping genes by discriminant analysis. Virology 2020; 546:51-66. [PMID: 32452417 PMCID: PMC7157939 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Overlapping genes originate by a mechanism of overprinting, in which nucleotide substitutions in a pre-existing frame induce the expression of a de novo protein from an alternative frame. In this study, I assembled a dataset of 319 viral overlapping genes, which included 82 overlaps whose expression is experimentally known and the respective 237 homologs. Principal component analysis revealed that overlapping genes have a common pattern of nucleotide and amino acid composition. Discriminant analysis separated overlapping from non-overlapping genes with an accuracy of 97%. When applied to overlapping genes with known genealogy, it separated ancestral from de novo frames with an accuracy close to 100%. This high discriminant power was crucial to computationally design variants of de novo viral proteins known to possess selective anticancer toxicity (apoptin) or protection against neurodegeneration (X protein), as well as to detect two new potential overlapping genes in the genome of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Pavesi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 23/A, I-43124, Parma, Italy.
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38
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Abstract
Overlapping genes are commonplace in viruses and play an important role in their function and evolution. However, aside from studies on specific groups of viruses, relatively little is known about the extent and nature of gene overlap and its determinants in viruses as a whole. Here, we present an extensive characterisation of gene overlap in viruses through an analysis of reference genomes present in the NCBI virus genome database. We find that over half the instances of gene overlap are very small, covering <10 nt, and 84 per cent are <50 nt in length. Despite this, 53 per cent of all viruses still contained a gene overlap of 50 nt or larger. We also investigate several predictors of gene overlap such as genome structure (single- and double-stranded RNA and DNA), virus family, genome length, and genome segmentation. This revealed that gene overlap occurs more frequently in DNA viruses than in RNA viruses, and more frequently in single-stranded viruses than in double-stranded viruses. Genome segmentation is also associated with gene overlap, particularly in single-stranded DNA viruses. Notably, we observed a large range of overlap frequencies across families of all genome types, suggesting that it is a common evolutionary trait that provides flexible genome structures in all virus families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E Schlub
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health,The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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39
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Dinan AM, Lukhovitskaya NI, Olendraite I, Firth AE. A case for a negative-strand coding sequence in a group of positive-sense RNA viruses. Virus Evol 2020; 6:veaa007. [PMID: 32064120 PMCID: PMC7010960 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses form the largest and most diverse group of eukaryote-infecting viruses. Their genomes comprise one or more segments of coding-sense RNA that function directly as messenger RNAs upon release into the cytoplasm of infected cells. Positive-sense RNA viruses are generally accepted to encode proteins solely on the positive strand. However, we previously identified a surprisingly long (∼1,000-codon) open reading frame (ORF) on the negative strand of some members of the family Narnaviridae which, together with RNA bacteriophages of the family Leviviridae, form a sister group to all other positive-sense RNA viruses. Here, we completed the genomes of three mosquito-associated narnaviruses, all of which have the long reverse-frame ORF. We systematically identified narnaviral sequences in public data sets from a wide range of sources, including arthropod, fungal, and plant transcriptomic data sets. Long reverse-frame ORFs are widespread in one clade of narnaviruses, where they frequently occupy >95 per cent of the genome. The reverse-frame ORFs correspond to a specific avoidance of CUA, UUA, and UCA codons (i.e. stop codon reverse complements) in the forward-frame RNA-dependent RNA polymerase ORF. However, absence of these codons cannot be explained by other factors such as inability to decode these codons or GC3 bias. Together with other analyses, we provide the strongest evidence yet of coding capacity on the negative strand of a positive-sense RNA virus. As these ORFs comprise some of the longest known overlapping genes, their study may be of broad relevance to understanding overlapping gene evolution and de novo origin of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Dinan
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Nina I Lukhovitskaya
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Ingrida Olendraite
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Andrew E Firth
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK
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40
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Silveira CB, Coutinho FH, Cavalcanti GS, Benler S, Doane MP, Dinsdale EA, Edwards RA, Francini-Filho RB, Thompson CC, Luque A, Rohwer FL, Thompson F. Genomic and ecological attributes of marine bacteriophages encoding bacterial virulence genes. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:126. [PMID: 32024463 PMCID: PMC7003362 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6523-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacteriophages encode genes that modify bacterial functions during infection. The acquisition of phage-encoded virulence genes is a major mechanism for the rise of bacterial pathogens. In coral reefs, high bacterial density and lysogeny has been proposed to exacerbate reef decline through the transfer of phage-encoded virulence genes. However, the functions and distribution of these genes in phage virions on the reef remain unknown. Results Here, over 28,000 assembled viral genomes from the free viral community in Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coral reefs were queried against a curated database of virulence genes. The diversity of virulence genes encoded in the viral genomes was tested for relationships with host taxonomy and bacterial density in the environment. These analyses showed that bacterial density predicted the profile of virulence genes encoded by phages. The Shannon diversity of virulence-encoding phages was negatively related with bacterial density, leading to dominance of fewer genes at high bacterial abundances. A statistical learning analysis showed that reefs with high microbial density were enriched in viruses encoding genes enabling bacterial recognition and invasion of metazoan epithelium. Over 60% of phages could not have their hosts identified due to limitations of host prediction tools; for those which hosts were identified, host taxonomy was not an indicator of the presence of virulence genes. Conclusions This study described bacterial virulence factors encoded in the genomes of bacteriophages at the community level. The results showed that the increase in microbial densities that occurs during coral reef degradation is associated with a change in the genomic repertoire of bacteriophages, specifically in the diversity and distribution of bacterial virulence genes. This suggests that phages are implicated in the rise of pathogens in disturbed marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia B Silveira
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA. .,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA. .,Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Dr., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
| | - Felipe H Coutinho
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Apartado 18, 03550, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Giselle S Cavalcanti
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Sean Benler
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Michael P Doane
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Dinsdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Ronaldo B Francini-Filho
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, Rodovia Manoel Hypólito do Rego, Km 131,50, São Sebastião, SP, 11600-000, Brazil
| | - Cristiane C Thompson
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941- 599, Brazil
| | - Antoni Luque
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Forest L Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Fabiano Thompson
- SAGE/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941- 599, Brazil
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41
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DeRisi JL, Huber G, Kistler A, Retallack H, Wilkinson M, Yllanes D. An exploration of ambigrammatic sequences in narnaviruses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17982. [PMID: 31784609 PMCID: PMC6884476 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Narnaviruses have been described as positive-sense RNA viruses with a remarkably simple genome of ~3 kb, encoding only a highly conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Many narnaviruses, however, are 'ambigrammatic' and harbour an additional uninterrupted open reading frame (ORF) covering almost the entire length of the reverse complement strand. No function has been described for this ORF, yet the absence of stops is conserved across diverse narnaviruses, and in every case the codons in the reverse ORF and the RdRp are aligned. The >3 kb ORF overlap on opposite strands, unprecedented among RNA viruses, motivates an exploration of the constraints imposed or alleviated by the codon alignment. Here, we show that only when the codon frames are aligned can all stop codons be eliminated from the reverse strand by synonymous single-nucleotide substitutions in the RdRp gene, suggesting a mechanism for de novo gene creation within a strongly conserved amino-acid sequence. It will be fascinating to explore what implications this coding strategy has for other aspects of narnavirus biology. Beyond narnaviruses, our rapidly expanding catalogue of viral diversity may yet reveal additional examples of this broadly-extensible principle for ambigrammatic-sequence development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph L DeRisi
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Greg Huber
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Amy Kistler
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Hanna Retallack
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael Wilkinson
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, England
| | - David Yllanes
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, 499 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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42
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Heaton SM. Harnessing host-virus evolution in antiviral therapy and immunotherapy. Clin Transl Immunology 2019; 8:e1067. [PMID: 31312450 PMCID: PMC6613463 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen resistance and development costs are major challenges in current approaches to antiviral therapy. The high error rate of RNA synthesis and reverse‐transcription confers genome plasticity, enabling the remarkable adaptability of RNA viruses to antiviral intervention. However, this property is coupled to fundamental constraints including limits on the size of information available to manipulate complex hosts into supporting viral replication. Accordingly, RNA viruses employ various means to extract maximum utility from their informationally limited genomes that, correspondingly, may be leveraged for effective host‐oriented therapies. Host‐oriented approaches are becoming increasingly feasible because of increased availability of bioactive compounds and recent advances in immunotherapy and precision medicine, particularly genome editing, targeted delivery methods and RNAi. In turn, one driving force behind these innovations is the increasingly detailed understanding of evolutionarily diverse host–virus interactions, which is the key concern of an emerging field, neo‐virology. This review examines biotechnological solutions to disease and other sustainability issues of our time that leverage the properties of RNA and DNA viruses as developed through co‐evolution with their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Heaton
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Monash University Clayton VIC Australia
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43
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Abstract
Viruses are widely used as vectors for heterologous gene expression in cultured cells or natural hosts, and therefore a large number of viruses with exogenous sequences inserted into their genomes have been engineered. Many of these engineered viruses are viable and express heterologous proteins at high levels, but the inserted sequences often prove to be unstable over time and are rapidly lost, limiting heterologous protein expression. Although virologists are aware that inserted sequences can be unstable, processes leading to insert instability are rarely considered from an evolutionary perspective. Here, we review experimental work on the stability of inserted sequences over a broad range of viruses, and we present some theoretical considerations concerning insert stability. Different virus genome organizations strongly impact insert stability, and factors such as the position of insertion can have a strong effect. In addition, we argue that insert stability not only depends on the characteristics of a particular genome, but that it will also depend on the host environment and the demography of a virus population. The interplay between all factors affecting stability is complex, which makes it challenging to develop a general model to predict the stability of genomic insertions. We highlight key questions and future directions, finding that insert stability is a surprisingly complex problem and that there is need for mechanism-based, predictive models. Combining theoretical models with experimental tests for stability under varying conditions can lead to improved engineering of viral modified genomes, which is a valuable tool for understanding genome evolution as well as for biotechnological applications, such as gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Willemsen
- Laboratory MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS IRD University of Montpellier), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Mark P Zwart
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Postbus 50, 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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44
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Schlub TE, Buchmann JP, Holmes EC. A Simple Method to Detect Candidate Overlapping Genes in Viruses Using Single Genome Sequences. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:2572-2581. [PMID: 30099499 PMCID: PMC6188560 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Overlapping genes in viruses maximize the coding capacity of their genomes and allow the generation of new genes without major increases in genome size. Despite their importance, the evolution and function of overlapping genes are often not well understood, in part due to difficulties in their detection. In addition, most bioinformatic approaches for the detection of overlapping genes require the comparison of multiple genome sequences that may not be available in metagenomic surveys of virus biodiversity. We introduce a simple new method for identifying candidate functional overlapping genes using single virus genome sequences. Our method uses randomization tests to estimate the expected length of open reading frames and then identifies overlapping open reading frames that significantly exceed this length and are thus predicted to be functional. We applied this method to 2548 reference RNA virus genomes and find that it has both high sensitivity and low false discovery for genes that overlap by at least 50 nucleotides. Notably, this analysis provided evidence for 29 previously undiscovered functional overlapping genes, some of which are coded in the antisense direction suggesting there are limitations in our current understanding of RNA virus replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E Schlub
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jan P Buchmann
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW , Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW , Australia
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45
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Mancarella A, Procopio FA, Achsel T, De Crignis E, Foley BT, Corradin G, Bagni C, Pantaleo G, Graziosi C. Detection of antisense protein (ASP) RNA transcripts in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). J Gen Virol 2019; 100:863-876. [PMID: 30896385 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of antisense RNA is hampered by reverse transcription (RT) non-specific priming, due to the ability of RNA secondary structures to prime RT in the absence of specific primers. The detection of antisense RNA by conventional RT-PCR does not allow assessment of the polarity of the initial RNA template, causing the amplification of non-specific cDNAs. In this study we have developed a modified protocol for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antisense protein (ASP) RNA. Using this approach, we have identified ASP transcripts in CD4+ T cells isolated from five HIV-infected individuals, either untreated or under suppressive therapy. We show that ASP RNA can be detected in stimulated CD4+ T cells from both groups of patients, but not in unstimulated cells. We also show that in untreated patients, the patterns of expression of ASP and env are very similar, with the levels of ASP RNA being markedly lower than those of env. Treatment of cells from one viraemic patient with α-amanitin greatly reduces the rate of ASP RNA synthesis, suggesting that it is associated with RNA polymerase II, the central enzyme in the transcription of protein-coding genes. Our data represent the first nucleotide sequences obtained in patients for ASP, demonstrating that its transcription indeed occurs in those HIV-1 lineages in which the ASP open reading frame is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Mancarella
- 1Division of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland
| | | | - Tilmann Achsel
- 2Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elisa De Crignis
- 3Department of Biochemistry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,†Present address: Clinical Trial Office, CRO Aviano National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Brian T Foley
- 4Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratories, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Claudia Bagni
- 2Department of Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Pantaleo
- 1Division of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland
| | - Cecilia Graziosi
- 1Division of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland
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46
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Puustusmaa M, Abroi A. cRegions-a tool for detecting conserved cis-elements in multiple sequence alignment of diverged coding sequences. PeerJ 2019; 6:e6176. [PMID: 30647994 PMCID: PMC6330207 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying cis-acting elements and understanding regulatory mechanisms of a gene is crucial to fully understand the molecular biology of an organism. In general, it is difficult to identify previously uncharacterised cis-acting elements with an unknown consensus sequence. The task is especially problematic with viruses containing regions of limited or no similarity to other previously characterised sequences. Fortunately, the fast increase in the number of sequenced genomes allows us to detect some of these elusive cis-elements. In this work, we introduce a web-based tool called cRegions. It was developed to identify regions within a protein-coding sequence where the conservation in the amino acid sequence is caused by the conservation in the nucleotide sequence. The cRegion can be the first step in discovering novel cis-acting sequences from diverged protein-coding genes. The results can be used as a basis for future experimental analysis. We applied cRegions on the non-structural and structural polyproteins of alphaviruses as an example and successfully detected all known cis-acting elements. In this publication and in previous work, we have shown that cRegions is able to detect a wide variety of functional elements in DNA and RNA viruses. These functional elements include splice sites, stem-loops, overlapping reading frames, internal promoters, ribosome frameshifting signals and other embedded elements with yet unknown function. The cRegions web tool is available at http://bioinfo.ut.ee/cRegions/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikk Puustusmaa
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Aare Abroi
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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47
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London RE. HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase: A Metamorphic Protein with Three Stable States. Structure 2019; 27:420-426. [PMID: 30639227 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
There has been a steadily increasing appreciation of the fact that the relationship between protein sequence and structure is often sufficiently ambiguous to allow a single sequence to adopt alternative, stable folds. Living organisms have been able to utilize such metamorphic proteins in remarkable and unanticipated ways. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is among the earliest such proteins identified and remains a unique example in which a functional heterodimer contains two, alternatively folded polymerase domains. Structural characterization of the p66 precursor protein combined with NMR spectroscopic and molecular modeling studies have provided insights into the factors underlying the metamorphic transition and the subunit-specific programmed unfolding step required to expose the protease cleavage site within the ribonuclease H domain, supporting the conversion of the p66/p66' precursor into the mature p66/p51 heterodimer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E London
- Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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48
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Abstract
RNA viruses are diverse, abundant, and rapidly evolving. Genetic data have been generated from virus populations since the late 1970s and used to understand their evolution, emergence, and spread, culminating in the generation and analysis of many thousands of viral genome sequences. Despite this wealth of data, evolutionary genetics has played a surprisingly small role in our understanding of virus evolution. Instead, studies of RNA virus evolution have been dominated by two very different perspectives, the experimental and the comparative, that have largely been conducted independently and sometimes antagonistically. Here, we review the insights that these two approaches have provided over the last 40 years. We show that experimental approaches using in vitro and in vivo laboratory models are largely focused on short-term intrahost evolutionary mechanisms, and may not always be relevant to natural systems. In contrast, the comparative approach relies on the phylogenetic analysis of natural virus populations, usually considering data collected over multiple cycles of virus-host transmission, but is divorced from the causative evolutionary processes. To truly understand RNA virus evolution it is necessary to meld experimental and comparative approaches within a single evolutionary genetic framework, and to link viral evolution at the intrahost scale with that which occurs over both epidemiological and geological timescales. We suggest that the impetus for this new synthesis may come from methodological advances in next-generation sequencing and metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma L Geoghegan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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49
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Saberi A, Gulyaeva AA, Brubacher JL, Newmark PA, Gorbalenya AE. A planarian nidovirus expands the limits of RNA genome size. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007314. [PMID: 30383829 PMCID: PMC6211748 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses are the only known RNA-protein (RNP) entities capable of autonomous replication (albeit within a permissive host environment). A 33.5 kilobase (kb) nidovirus has been considered close to the upper size limit for such entities; conversely, the minimal cellular DNA genome is in the 100–300 kb range. This large difference presents a daunting gap for the transition from primordial RNP to contemporary DNA-RNP-based life. Whether or not RNA viruses represent transitional steps towards DNA-based life, studies of larger RNA viruses advance our understanding of the size constraints on RNP entities and the role of genome size in virus adaptation. For example, emergence of the largest previously known RNA genomes (20–34 kb in positive-stranded nidoviruses, including coronaviruses) is associated with the acquisition of a proofreading exoribonuclease (ExoN) encoded in the open reading frame 1b (ORF1b) in a monophyletic subset of nidoviruses. However, apparent constraints on the size of ORF1b, which encodes this and other key replicative enzymes, have been hypothesized to limit further expansion of these viral RNA genomes. Here, we characterize a novel nidovirus (planarian secretory cell nidovirus; PSCNV) whose disproportionately large ORF1b-like region including unannotated domains, and overall 41.1-kb genome, substantially extend the presumed limits on RNA genome size. This genome encodes a predicted 13,556-aa polyprotein in an unconventional single ORF, yet retains canonical nidoviral genome organization and expression, as well as key replicative domains. These domains may include functionally relevant substitutions rarely or never before observed in highly conserved sites of RdRp, NiRAN, ExoN and 3CLpro. Our evolutionary analysis suggests that PSCNV diverged early from multi-ORF nidoviruses, and acquired additional genes, including those typical of large DNA viruses or hosts, e.g. Ankyrin and Fibronectin type II, which might modulate virus-host interactions. PSCNV's greatly expanded genome, proteomic complexity, and unique features–impressive in themselves–attest to the likelihood of still-larger RNA genomes awaiting discovery. RNA viruses are the only known RNA-protein (RNP) entities capable of autonomous replication. The upper genome size for such entities was assumed to be <35 kb; conversely, the minimal cellular DNA genome is in the 100–300 kilobase (kb) range. This large difference presents a daunting gap for the proposed evolution of contemporary DNA-RNP-based life from primordial RNP entities. Here, we describe a nidovirus from planarians, named planarian secretory cell nidovirus (PSCNV), whose 41.1 kb genome is 23% larger than any riboviral genome yet discovered. This increase is nearly equivalent in size to the entire poliovirus genome, and it equips PSCNV with an unprecedented extra coding capacity to adapt. PSCNV has broken apparent constraints on the size of the genomic subregion that encodes core replication machinery in other nidoviruses, including coronaviruses, and has acquired genes not previously observed in RNA viruses. This virus challenges and advances our understanding of the limits to RNA genome size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Saberi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
| | - Anastasia A. Gulyaeva
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - John L. Brubacher
- Department of Biology, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Phillip A. Newmark
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail: (PAN); (AEG)
| | - Alexander E. Gorbalenya
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail: (PAN); (AEG)
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50
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Pavesi A, Vianelli A, Chirico N, Bao Y, Blinkova O, Belshaw R, Firth A, Karlin D. Overlapping genes and the proteins they encode differ significantly in their sequence composition from non-overlapping genes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202513. [PMID: 30339683 PMCID: PMC6195259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Overlapping genes represent a fascinating evolutionary puzzle, since they encode two functionally unrelated proteins from the same DNA sequence. They originate by a mechanism of overprinting, in which point mutations in an existing frame allow the expression (the "birth") of a completely new protein from a second frame. In viruses, in which overlapping genes are abundant, these new proteins often play a critical role in infection, yet they are frequently overlooked during genome annotation. This results in erroneous interpretation of mutational studies and in a significant waste of resources. Therefore, overlapping genes need to be correctly detected, especially since they are now thought to be abundant also in eukaryotes. Developing better detection methods and conducting systematic evolutionary studies require a large, reliable benchmark dataset of known cases. We thus assembled a high-quality dataset of 80 viral overlapping genes whose expression is experimentally proven. Many of them were not present in databases. We found that overall, overlapping genes differ significantly from non-overlapping genes in their nucleotide and amino acid composition. In particular, the proteins they encode are enriched in high-degeneracy amino acids and depleted in low-degeneracy ones, which may alleviate the evolutionary constraints acting on overlapping genes. Principal component analysis revealed that the vast majority of overlapping genes follow a similar composition bias, despite their heterogeneity in length and function. Six proven mammalian overlapping genes also followed this bias. We propose that this apparently near-universal composition bias may either favour the birth of overlapping genes, or/and result from selection pressure acting on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Pavesi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alberto Vianelli
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Nicola Chirico
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Yiming Bao
- BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Olga Blinkova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Robert Belshaw
- School of Biomedical & Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry (PUPSMD), Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Firth
- Department of Pathology, Division of Virology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Karlin
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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