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Prusokiene A, Boonham N, Fox A, Howard TP. Mottle: Accurate pairwise substitution distance at high divergence through the exploitation of short-read mappers and gradient descent. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298834. [PMID: 38512939 PMCID: PMC10956839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Current tools for estimating the substitution distance between two related sequences struggle to remain accurate at a high divergence. Difficulties at distant homologies, such as false seeding and over-alignment, create a high barrier for the development of a stable estimator. This is especially true for viral genomes, which carry a high rate of mutation, small size, and sparse taxonomy. Developing an accurate substitution distance measure would help to elucidate the relationship between highly divergent sequences, interrogate their evolutionary history, and better facilitate the discovery of new viral genomes. To tackle these problems, we propose an approach that uses short-read mappers to create whole-genome maps, and gradient descent to isolate the homologous fraction and calculate the final distance value. We implement this approach as Mottle. With the use of simulated and biological sequences, Mottle was able to remain stable to 0.66-0.96 substitutions per base pair and identify viral outgroup genomes with 95% accuracy at the family-order level. Our results indicate that Mottle performs as well as existing programs in identifying taxonomic relationships, with more accurate numerical estimation of genomic distance over greater divergences. By contrast, one limitation is a reduced numerical accuracy at low divergences, and on genomes where insertions and deletions are uncommon, when compared to alternative approaches. We propose that Mottle may therefore be of particular interest in the study of viruses, viral relationships, and notably for viral discovery platforms, helping in benchmarking of homology search tools and defining the limits of taxonomic classification methods. The code for Mottle is available at https://github.com/tphoward/Mottle_Repo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Prusokiene
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Boonham
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Fox
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Fera Ltd., Biotech Campus, York, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas P. Howard
- Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
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Bejerman N, Dietzgen R, Debat H. Novel Tri-Segmented Rhabdoviruses: A Data Mining Expedition Unveils the Cryptic Diversity of Cytorhabdoviruses. Viruses 2023; 15:2402. [PMID: 38140643 PMCID: PMC10747219 DOI: 10.3390/v15122402] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytorhabdoviruses (genus Cytorhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae) are plant-infecting viruses with enveloped, bacilliform virions. Established members of the genus Cytorhabdovirus have unsegmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA genomes (ca. 10-16 kb) which encode four to ten proteins. Here, by exploring large publicly available metatranscriptomics datasets, we report the identification and genomic characterization of 93 novel viruses with genetic and evolutionary cues of cytorhabdoviruses. Strikingly, five unprecedented viruses with tri-segmented genomes were also identified. This finding represents the first tri-segmented viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae, and they should be classified in a novel genus within this family for which we suggest the name "Trirhavirus". Interestingly, the nucleocapsid and polymerase were the only typical rhabdoviral proteins encoded by those tri-segmented viruses, whereas in three of them, a protein similar to the emaravirus (family Fimoviridae) silencing suppressor was found, while the other predicted proteins had no matches in any sequence databases. Genetic distance and evolutionary insights suggest that all these novel viruses may represent members of novel species. Phylogenetic analyses, of both novel and previously classified plant rhabdoviruses, provide compelling support for the division of the genus Cytorhabdovirus into three distinct genera. This proposed reclassification not only enhances our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics within this group of plant rhabdoviruses but also illuminates the remarkable genomic diversity they encompass. This study not only represents a significant expansion of the genomics of cytorhabdoviruses that will enable future research on the evolutionary peculiarity of this genus but also shows the plasticity in the rhabdovirus genome organization with the discovery of tri-segmented members with a unique evolutionary trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Bejerman
- Instituto de Patología Vegetal—Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias—Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (IPAVE—CIAP—INTA), Camino 60 Cuadras Km 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina
- Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Camino 60 Cuadras Km 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina
| | - Ralf Dietzgen
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Humberto Debat
- Instituto de Patología Vegetal—Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias—Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (IPAVE—CIAP—INTA), Camino 60 Cuadras Km 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina
- Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Camino 60 Cuadras Km 5,5, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina
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Vila-Nistal M, Maestre-Carballa L, Martinez-Hernández F, Martinez-Garcia M. Novel RNA viruses from the Atlantic Ocean: Ecogenomics, biogeography, and total virioplankton mass contribution from surface to the deep ocean. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3151-3160. [PMID: 37696769 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine viruses play a major role in the energy and nutrient cycle and affect the evolution of their hosts. Despite their importance, there is still little knowledge about RNA viruses. Here, we have explored the Atlantic Ocean, from surface to deep (4.296 m), and used viromics and quantitative methods to unveil the genomics, biogeography, and the mass contribution of RNA viruses to the total viroplankton. A total of 2481 putative RNA viral contigs (>500 bp) and 107 larger bona fide RNA viral genomes (>2.5 kb) were identified; 88 of them representing novel viruses belonging mostly to two clades: Yangshan assemblage (sister clade to the class Alsuviricetes) and Nodaviridae. These viruses were highly endemic and locally abundant, with little or no presence in other oceans since only ≈15% of them were found in at least one of the Tara sampling metatranscriptomes. Quantitative data indicated that the abundance of RNA viruses in the surface and deep chlorophyll maximum zone was within ≈106 VLP/mL representing a potential contribution of 5.2%-24.4% to the total viroplankton community (DNA and RNA viruses), with DNA viruses being the predominant members (≈107 VLP/mL). However, for the deep sample, the observed trend was the opposite, although as further discussed, several biases should be considered. Together these results contribute to our understanding of the diversity, abundance, and distribution of RNA viruses in the oceans and provide a basis for further investigation into their ecological roles and biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Vila-Nistal
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (IMEM), University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Lucia Maestre-Carballa
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (IMEM), University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Martinez-Garcia
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (IMEM), University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
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Siddell SG, Smith DB, Adriaenssens E, Alfenas-Zerbini P, Dutilh BE, Garcia ML, Junglen S, Krupovic M, Kuhn JH, Lambert AJ, Lefkowitz EJ, Łobocka M, Mushegian AR, Oksanen HM, Robertson DL, Rubino L, Sabanadzovic S, Simmonds P, Suzuki N, Van Doorslaer K, Vandamme AM, Varsani A, Zerbini FM. Virus taxonomy and the role of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). J Gen Virol 2023; 104:001840. [PMID: 37141106 PMCID: PMC10227694 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The taxonomy of viruses is developed and overseen by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), which scrutinizes, approves and ratifies taxonomic proposals, and maintains a list of virus taxa with approved names (https://ictv.global). The ICTV has approximately 180 members who vote by simple majority. Taxon-specific Study Groups established by the ICTV have a combined membership of over 600 scientists from the wider virology community; they provide comprehensive expertise across the range of known viruses and are major contributors to the creation and evaluation of taxonomic proposals. Proposals can be submitted by anyone and will be considered by the ICTV irrespective of Study Group support. Thus, virus taxonomy is developed from within the virology community and realized by a democratic decision-making process. The ICTV upholds the distinction between a virus or replicating genetic element as a physical entity and the taxon category to which it is assigned. This is reflected by the nomenclature of the virus species taxon, which is now mandated by the ICTV to be in a binomial format (genus + species epithet) and is typographically distinct from the names of viruses. Classification of viruses below the rank of species (such as, genotypes or strains) is not within the remit of the ICTV. This article, authored by the ICTV Executive Committee, explains the principles of virus taxonomy and the organization, function, processes and resources of the ICTV, with the aim of encouraging greater understanding and interaction among the wider virology community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart G. Siddell
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Donald B. Smith
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Bas E. Dutilh
- Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Science for Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Laura Garcia
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, CCT-La Plata, CONICET, UNLP, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sandra Junglen
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, Paris, France
| | - Jens H. Kuhn
- Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Amy J. Lambert
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Elliot J. Lefkowitz
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Małgorzata Łobocka
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Arcady R. Mushegian
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
| | - Hanna M. Oksanen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Luisa Rubino
- Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR, SS Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sead Sabanadzovic
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Peter Simmonds
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nobuhiro Suzuki
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koenraad Van Doorslaer
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Department of Immunobiology, BIO5 Institute, Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program and University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Anne-Mieke Vandamme
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Leuven, Belgium and Center for Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - F. Murilo Zerbini
- Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
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