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Gonçalves AAM, Ribeiro AJ, Resende CAA, Couto CAP, Gandra IB, Dos Santos Barcelos IC, da Silva JO, Machado JM, Silva KA, Silva LS, Dos Santos M, da Silva Lopes L, de Faria MT, Pereira SP, Xavier SR, Aragão MM, Candida-Puma MA, de Oliveira ICM, Souza AA, Nogueira LM, da Paz MC, Coelho EAF, Giunchetti RC, de Freitas SM, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Nagem RAP, Galdino AS. Recombinant multiepitope proteins expressed in Escherichia coli cells and their potential for immunodiagnosis. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:145. [PMID: 38778337 PMCID: PMC11110257 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02418-w] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant multiepitope proteins (RMPs) are a promising alternative for application in diagnostic tests and, given their wide application in the most diverse diseases, this review article aims to survey the use of these antigens for diagnosis, as well as discuss the main points surrounding these antigens. RMPs usually consisting of linear, immunodominant, and phylogenetically conserved epitopes, has been applied in the experimental diagnosis of various human and animal diseases, such as leishmaniasis, brucellosis, cysticercosis, Chagas disease, hepatitis, leptospirosis, leprosy, filariasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and COVID-19. The synthetic genes for these epitopes are joined to code a single RMP, either with spacers or fused, with different biochemical properties. The epitopes' high density within the RMPs contributes to a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The RMPs can also sidestep the need for multiple peptide synthesis or multiple recombinant proteins, reducing costs and enhancing the standardization conditions for immunoassays. Methods such as bioinformatics and circular dichroism have been widely applied in the development of new RMPs, helping to guide their construction and better understand their structure. Several RMPs have been expressed, mainly using the Escherichia coli expression system, highlighting the importance of these cells in the biotechnological field. In fact, technological advances in this area, offering a wide range of different strains to be used, make these cells the most widely used expression platform. RMPs have been experimentally used to diagnose a broad range of illnesses in the laboratory, suggesting they could also be useful for accurate diagnoses commercially. On this point, the RMP method offers a tempting substitute for the production of promising antigens used to assemble commercial diagnostic kits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Anna Julia Ribeiro
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Carlos Ananias Aparecido Resende
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Carolina Alves Petit Couto
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Isadora Braga Gandra
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Isabelle Caroline Dos Santos Barcelos
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Jonatas Oliveira da Silva
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Juliana Martins Machado
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Kamila Alves Silva
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Líria Souza Silva
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Michelli Dos Santos
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Lucas da Silva Lopes
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Mariana Teixeira de Faria
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Paula Pereira
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Sandra Rodrigues Xavier
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Matheus Motta Aragão
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mayron Antonio Candida-Puma
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, 04000, Peru
| | | | - Amanda Araujo Souza
- Biophysics Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Lais Moreira Nogueira
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Mariana Campos da Paz
- Bioactives and Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antônio Ferraz Coelho
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 30130-100, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratory of Biology of Cell Interactions, National Institute of Science and Technology on Tropical Diseases (INCT-DT), Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Sonia Maria de Freitas
- Biophysics Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Computational Biology and Chemistry Research Group, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Católica de Santa María, Arequipa, 04000, Peru
| | - Ronaldo Alves Pinto Nagem
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino
- Microorganism Biotechnology Laboratory, National Institute of Science and Technology on Industrial Biotechnology (INCT-BI), Federal University of São João Del-Rei, Midwest Campus, Divinópolis, 35501-296, Brazil.
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Tan CCS, van Dorp L, Balloux F. The evolutionary drivers and correlates of viral host jumps. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:960-971. [PMID: 38528191 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02353-4] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Most emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases stem from viruses that naturally circulate in non-human vertebrates. When these viruses cross over into humans, they can cause disease outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. While zoonotic host jumps have been extensively studied from an ecological perspective, little attention has gone into characterizing the evolutionary drivers and correlates underlying these events. To address this gap, we harnessed the entirety of publicly available viral genomic data, employing a comprehensive suite of network and phylogenetic analyses to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning recent viral host jumps. Surprisingly, we find that humans are as much a source as a sink for viral spillover events, insofar as we infer more viral host jumps from humans to other animals than from animals to humans. Moreover, we demonstrate heightened evolution in viral lineages that involve putative host jumps. We further observe that the extent of adaptation associated with a host jump is lower for viruses with broader host ranges. Finally, we show that the genomic targets of natural selection associated with host jumps vary across different viral families, with either structural or auxiliary genes being the prime targets of selection. Collectively, our results illuminate some of the evolutionary drivers underlying viral host jumps that may contribute to mitigating viral threats across species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric C S Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
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3
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Hong W, Mei H, Shi X, Lin X, Wang S, Ni R, Wang Y, Song L. Viral community distribution, assembly mechanism, and associated hosts in an industrial park wastewater treatment plant. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 247:118156. [PMID: 38199475 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Viruses manipulate bacterial community composition and impact wastewater treatment efficiency. Some viruses pose threats to the environment and human populations through infection. Improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment and ensuring the health of the effluent and receptor pools requires an understanding of how viral communities assemble and interact with hosts in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). We used metagenomic analysis to study the distribution, assembly mechanism, and sensitive hosts for the viral communities in raw water, anaerobic tanks, and returned activated sludge units of a large-scale industrial park WWTP. Uroviricota (53.42% ± 0.14%) and Nucleocytoviricota (26.1% ± 0.19%) were dominant in all units. Viral community composition significantly differed between units, as measured by β diversity (P = 0.005). Compared to raw water, the relative viral abundance decreased by 29.8% in the anaerobic tank but increased by 9.9% in the activated sludge. Viral community assembly in raw water and anaerobic tanks was predominantly driven by deterministic processes (MST <0.5) versus stochastic processes (MST >0.5) in the activated sludge, indicating that differences in diffusion limits may fundamentally alter the assembly mechanisms of viral communities between the solid and liquid-phase environments. Acidobacteria was identified as the sensitive host contributing to viral abundance, exhibiting strong interactions and a mutual dependence (degree = 59). These results demonstrate the occurrence and prevalence of viruses in WWTPs, their different assembly mechanism, and sensitive hosts. These observations require further study of the mechanisms of viral community succession, ecological function, and roles in the successive wastewater treatment units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Hong
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China
| | - Hong Mei
- East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Hefei, 230024, China
| | - Xianyang Shi
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China.
| | - Xiaoxing Lin
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China
| | - Shuijing Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China
| | - Renjie Ni
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China
| | - Yan Wang
- East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Hefei, 230024, China
| | - Liyan Song
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, 247230, China.
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4
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Rattray JB, Lowhorn RJ, Walden R, Márquez-Zacarías P, Molotkova E, Perron G, Solis-Lemus C, Pimentel Alarcon D, Brown SP. Machine learning identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from colony image data. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011699. [PMID: 38091365 PMCID: PMC10752536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011699] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
When grown on agar surfaces, microbes can produce distinct multicellular spatial structures called colonies, which contain characteristic sizes, shapes, edges, textures, and degrees of opacity and color. For over one hundred years, researchers have used these morphology cues to classify bacteria and guide more targeted treatment of pathogens. Advances in genome sequencing technology have revolutionized our ability to classify bacterial isolates and while genomic methods are in the ascendancy, morphological characterization of bacterial species has made a resurgence due to increased computing capacities and widespread application of machine learning tools. In this paper, we revisit the topic of colony morphotype on the within-species scale and apply concepts from image processing, computer vision, and deep learning to a dataset of 69 environmental and clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. We find that colony morphology and complexity under common laboratory conditions is a robust, repeatable phenotype on the level of individual strains, and therefore forms a potential basis for strain classification. We then use a deep convolutional neural network approach with a combination of data augmentation and transfer learning to overcome the typical data starvation problem in biological applications of deep learning. Using a train/validation/test split, our results achieve an average validation accuracy of 92.9% and an average test accuracy of 90.7% for the classification of individual strains. These results indicate that bacterial strains have characteristic visual 'fingerprints' that can serve as the basis of classification on a sub-species level. Our work illustrates the potential of image-based classification of bacterial pathogens and highlights the potential to use similar approaches to predict medically relevant strain characteristics like antibiotic resistance and virulence from colony data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer B. Rattray
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Lowhorn
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Ryan Walden
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | | | - Evgeniya Molotkova
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Gabriel Perron
- Department of Biology, Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson, New York, United States of America
- Center for Systems Biology and Genomics, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Claudia Solis-Lemus
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel Pimentel Alarcon
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sam P. Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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5
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Choo J, Nghiem LTP, Benítez-López A, Carrasco LR. Range area and the fast-slow continuum of life history traits predict pathogen richness in wild mammals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20191. [PMID: 37980452 PMCID: PMC10657380 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47448-3] [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: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Surveillance of pathogen richness in wildlife is needed to identify host species with a high risk of zoonotic disease spillover. While several predictors of pathogen richness in wildlife hosts have been proposed, their relative importance has not been formally examined. This hampers our ability to identify potential disease reservoirs, particularly in remote areas with limited surveillance efforts. Here we analyzed 14 proposed predictors of pathogen richness using ensemble modeling and a dataset of 1040 host species to identify the most important predictors of pathogen richness in wild mammal species. After controlling for research effort, larger species geographic range area was identified to be associated with higher pathogen richness. We found evidence of duality in the relationship between the fast-slow continuum of life-history traits and pathogen richness, where pathogen richness increases near the extremities. Taxonomic orders Carnivora, Proboscidea, Artiodactyla, and Perissodactyla were predicted to host high pathogen richness. The top three species with the highest pathogen richness predicted by our ensemble model were Canis lupus, Sus scrofa, and Alces alces. Our results can help support evidence-informed pathogen surveillance and disease reservoir management to prevent the emergence of future zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Choo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | | | - Ana Benítez-López
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Luis R Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Cruz GLT, Winck GR, D'Andrea PS, Krempser E, Vidal MM, Andreazzi CS. Integrating databases for spatial analysis of parasite-host associations and the novel Brazilian dataset. Sci Data 2023; 10:757. [PMID: 37919263 PMCID: PMC10622529 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02636-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Incomplete information on parasites, their associated hosts, and their precise geographical location hampers the ability to predict disease emergence in Brazil, a continental-sized country characterised by significant regional disparities. Here, we demonstrate how the NCBI Nucleotide and GBIF databases can be used as complementary databases to study spatially georeferenced parasite-host associations. We also provide a comprehensive dataset of parasites associated with mammal species that occur in Brazil, the Brazilian Mammal Parasite Occurrence Data (BMPO). This dataset integrates wild mammal species' morphological and life-history traits, zoonotic parasite status, and zoonotic microparasite transmission modes. Through meta-networks, comprising interconnected host species linked by shared zoonotic microparasites, we elucidate patterns of zoonotic microparasite dissemination. This approach contributes to wild animal and zoonoses surveillance, identifying and targeting host species accountable for disproportionate levels of parasite sharing within distinct biomes. Moreover, our novel dataset contributes to the refinement of models concerning disease emergence and parasite distribution among host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella L T Cruz
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios (LABPMR), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Inovação (PROPGPI), Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Unirio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gisele R Winck
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios (LABPMR), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Paulo S D'Andrea
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios (LABPMR), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Krempser
- Plataforma Institucional Biodiversidade e Saúde Silvestre (PIBSS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mariana M Vidal
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios (LABPMR), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Cecilia S Andreazzi
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios (LABPMR), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- International Platform for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health (PICTIS), Ílhavo, Portugal.
- Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Sanchez-Aguillon F, Alarcon-Valdes P, Rojano-Rodriguez M, Ibarra-Arce A, Olivo-Diaz A, Santillan-Benitez JG, Martinez-Hernandez F, Maravilla P, Romero-Valdovinos M. Presence of human adenovirus 36 in visceral fat tissue, viral load, and analysis of its genetic variability. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29015. [PMID: 37539979 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29015] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
It has been proposed that infection by adipogenic viruses constitutes a "low risk" factor for obesity. Here, we report the presence of adenovirus 36 (Ad36) and its viral load copy number in fat tissue of participants with obesity and normal weight; phylogenetic analysis was performed to describe their relationship and genetic variability among viral haplotypes. Adipose tissue obtained from 105 adult patients with obesity (cases) and 26 normal-weight adult participants as controls were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) amplifying the partial Ad36 E1a gene. The amplicons were examined by melting curves and submitted to sequencing. Then, genetic diversity and phylogenetic inferences were performed. Ad36 was identified at rates of 82% and 46% in the case and control groups, respectively (p = 1.1 × 10-4 , odds ratio = 5.28); viral load copies were also significantly different between both groups, being 25% higher in the case group. Melting curve analysis showed clear amplification among positive samples. Phylogenetic inferences and genetic diversity analyses showed that the Ad36 E1a gene exhibits low genetic variability and differentiation with strong gene flow due to an expanding process. Our results suggest that the phenomenon of infectobesity by Ad36 might not be a low-risk factor, as has been previously argued by other authors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pablo Maravilla
- Hospital General "Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez", Mexico City, Mexico
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8
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Kuchipudi SV, Tan C, van Dorp L, Lichtveld M, Pickering B, Bowman J, Mubareka S, Balloux F. Coordinated surveillance is essential to monitor and mitigate the evolutionary impacts of SARS-CoV-2 spillover and circulation in animal hosts. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:956-959. [PMID: 37231305 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Suresh V Kuchipudi
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Cedric Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maureen Lichtveld
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bradley Pickering
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Poisot T, Ouellet MA, Mollentze N, Farrell MJ, Becker DJ, Brierley L, Albery GF, Gibb RJ, Seifert SN, Carlson CJ. Network embedding unveils the hidden interactions in the mammalian virome. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 4:100738. [PMID: 37409053 PMCID: PMC10318366 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2023.100738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Predicting host-virus interactions is fundamentally a network science problem. We develop a method for bipartite network prediction that combines a recommender system (linear filtering) with an imputation algorithm based on low-rank graph embedding. We test this method by applying it to a global database of mammal-virus interactions and thus show that it makes biologically plausible predictions that are robust to data biases. We find that the mammalian virome is under-characterized anywhere in the world. We suggest that future virus discovery efforts could prioritize the Amazon Basin (for its unique coevolutionary assemblages) and sub-Saharan Africa (for its poorly characterized zoonotic reservoirs). Graph embedding of the imputed network improves predictions of human infection from viral genome features, providing a shortlist of priorities for laboratory studies and surveillance. Overall, our study indicates that the global structure of the mammal-virus network contains a large amount of information that is recoverable, and this provides new insights into fundamental biology and disease emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Poisot
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Andrée Ouellet
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nardus Mollentze
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Maxwell J. Farrell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Liam Brierley
- Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Rory J. Gibb
- Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research, University College, London, UK
| | - Stephanie N. Seifert
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Colin J. Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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10
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Imrie RM, Walsh SK, Roberts KE, Lello J, Longdon B. Investigating the outcomes of virus coinfection within and across host species. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011044. [PMID: 37216391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between coinfecting pathogens have the potential to alter the course of infection and can act as a source of phenotypic variation in susceptibility between hosts. This phenotypic variation may influence the evolution of host-pathogen interactions within host species and interfere with patterns in the outcomes of infection across host species. Here, we examine experimental coinfections of two Cripaviruses-Cricket Paralysis Virus (CrPV), and Drosophila C Virus (DCV)-across a panel of 25 Drosophila melanogaster inbred lines and 47 Drosophilidae host species. We find that interactions between these viruses alter viral loads across D. melanogaster genotypes, with a ~3 fold increase in the viral load of DCV and a ~2.5 fold decrease in CrPV in coinfection compared to single infection, but we find little evidence of a host genetic basis for these effects. Across host species, we find no evidence of systematic changes in susceptibility during coinfection, with no interaction between DCV and CrPV detected in the majority of host species. These results suggest that phenotypic variation in coinfection interactions within host species can occur independently of natural host genetic variation in susceptibility, and that patterns of susceptibility across host species to single infections can be robust to the added complexity of coinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Imrie
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah K Walsh
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine E Roberts
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Lello
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Longdon
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, United Kingdom
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11
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Carneiro J, Pascoal F, Semedo M, Pratas D, Tomasino MP, Rego A, Carvalho MDF, Mucha AP, Magalhães C. Mapping human pathogens in wastewater using a metatranscriptomic approach. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116040. [PMID: 37150387 PMCID: PMC10172761 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The monitoring of cities' wastewaters for the detection of potentially pathogenic viruses and bacteria has been considered a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor public health in urban environments. The methodological approaches frequently used for this purpose include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse transcription (RT)‒qPCR targeting pathogenic genes. More recently, the application of metatranscriptomic has opened opportunities to develop broad pathogenic monitoring workflows covering the entire pathogenic community within the sample. Nevertheless, the high amount of data generated in the process requires an appropriate analysis to detect the pathogenic community from the entire dataset. Here, an implementation of a bioinformatic workflow was developed to produce a map of the detected pathogenic bacteria and viruses in wastewater samples by analysing metatranscriptomic data. The main objectives of this work was the development of a computational methodology that can accurately detect both human pathogenic virus and bacteria in wastewater samples. This workflow can be easily reproducible with open-source software and uses efficient computational resources. The results showed that the used algorithms can predict potential human pathogens presence in the tested samples and that active forms of both bacteria and virus can be identified. By comparing the computational method implemented in this study to other state-of-the-art workflows, the implementation analysis was faster, while providing higher accuracy and sensitivity. Considering these results, the processes and methods to monitor wastewater for potential human pathogens can become faster and more accurate. The proposed workflow is available at https://github.com/waterpt/watermonitor and can be implemented in currently wastewater monitoring programs to ascertain the presence of potential human pathogenic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Carneiro
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - Francisco Pascoal
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/n, 4169- 007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Semedo
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Diogo Pratas
- IEETA - Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Electronics Telecommunications and Informatics, University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria Paola Tomasino
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Adriana Rego
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Maria de Fátima Carvalho
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Mucha
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/n, 4169- 007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Magalhães
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros Do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, S/n, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/n, 4169- 007, Porto, Portugal
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12
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Moulana A, Dupic T, Phillips AM, Desai MM. Genotype-phenotype landscapes for immune-pathogen coevolution. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:384-396. [PMID: 37024340 PMCID: PMC10147585 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.03.006] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Our immune systems constantly coevolve with the pathogens that challenge them, as pathogens adapt to evade our defense responses, with our immune repertoires shifting in turn. These coevolutionary dynamics take place across a vast and high-dimensional landscape of potential pathogen and immune receptor sequence variants. Mapping the relationship between these genotypes and the phenotypes that determine immune-pathogen interactions is crucial for understanding, predicting, and controlling disease. Here, we review recent developments applying high-throughput methods to create large libraries of immune receptor and pathogen protein sequence variants and measure relevant phenotypes. We describe several approaches that probe different regions of the high-dimensional sequence space and comment on how combinations of these methods may offer novel insight into immune-pathogen coevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alief Moulana
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Thomas Dupic
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Angela M Phillips
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael M Desai
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; NSF-Simons Center for Mathematical and Statistical Analysis of Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Quantitative Biology Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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13
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Hagen EH, Blackwell AD, Lightner AD, Sullivan RJ. Homo medicus: The transition to meat eating increased pathogen pressure and the use of pharmacological plants in Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 180:589-617. [PMID: 36815505 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The human lineage transitioned to a more carnivorous niche 2.6 mya and evolved a large body size and slower life history, which likely increased zoonotic pathogen pressure. Evidence for this increase includes increased zoonotic infections in modern hunter-gatherers and bushmeat hunters, exceptionally low stomach pH compared to other primates, and divergence in immune-related genes. These all point to change, and probably intensification, in the infectious disease environment of Homo compared to earlier hominins and other apes. At the same time, the brain, an organ in which immune responses are constrained, began to triple in size. We propose that the combination of increased zoonotic pathogen pressure and the challenges of defending a large brain and body from pathogens in a long-lived mammal, selected for intensification of the plant-based self-medication strategies already in place in apes and other primates. In support, there is evidence of medicinal plant use by hominins in the middle Paleolithic, and all cultures today have sophisticated, plant-based medical systems, add spices to food, and regularly consume psychoactive plant substances that are harmful to helminths and other pathogens. We propose that the computational challenges of discovering effective plant-based treatments, the consequent ability to consume more energy-rich animal foods, and the reduced reliance on energetically-costly immune responses helped select for increased cognitive abilities and unique exchange relationships in Homo. In the story of human evolution, which has long emphasized hunting skills, medical skills had an equal role to play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Lightner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Department of the Study of Religion, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Roger J Sullivan
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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14
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Tan CCS, Ko KKK, Chen H, Liu J, Loh M, Chia M, Nagarajan N. No evidence for a common blood microbiome based on a population study of 9,770 healthy humans. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:973-985. [PMID: 36997797 PMCID: PMC10159858 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01350-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Human blood is conventionally considered sterile but recent studies suggest the presence of a blood microbiome in healthy individuals. Here we characterized the DNA signatures of microbes in the blood of 9,770 healthy individuals using sequencing data from multiple cohorts. After filtering for contaminants, we identified 117 microbial species in blood, some of which had DNA signatures of microbial replication. They were primarily commensals associated with the gut (n = 40), mouth (n = 32) and genitourinary tract (n = 18), and were distinct from pathogens detected in hospital blood cultures. No species were detected in 84% of individuals, while the remainder only had a median of one species. Less than 5% of individuals shared the same species, no co-occurrence patterns between different species were observed and no associations between host phenotypes and microbes were found. Overall, these results do not support the hypothesis of a consistent core microbiome endogenous to human blood. Rather, our findings support the transient and sporadic translocation of commensal microbes from other body sites into the bloodstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric C S Tan
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Karrie K K Ko
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Microbiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hui Chen
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Marie Loh
- Population and Global Health, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UK
- National Skin Centre, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Minghao Chia
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Niranjan Nagarajan
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
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15
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Herrera JP, Moody J, Nunn CL. Predicting primate-parasite associations using exponential random graph models. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:710-722. [PMID: 36633380 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13883] [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: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Ecological associations between hosts and parasites are influenced by host exposure and susceptibility to parasites, and by parasite traits, such as transmission mode. Advances in network analysis allow us to answer questions about the causes and consequences of traits in ecological networks in ways that could not be addressed in the past. We used a network-based framework (exponential random graph models or ERGMs) to investigate the biogeographic, phylogenetic and ecological characteristics of hosts and parasites that affect the probability of interactions among nonhuman primates and their parasites. Parasites included arthropods, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses and helminths. We investigated existing hypotheses, along with new predictors and an expanded host-parasite database that included 213 primate nodes, 763 parasite nodes and 2319 edges among them. Analyses also investigated phylogenetic relatedness, sampling effort and spatial overlap among hosts. In addition to supporting some previous findings, our ERGM approach demonstrated that more threatened hosts had fewer parasites, and notably, that this effect was independent of hosts also having a smaller geographic range. Despite having fewer parasites, threatened host species shared more parasites with other hosts, consistent with loss of specialist parasites and threat arising from generalist parasites that can be maintained in other, non-threatened hosts. Viruses, protozoa and helminths had broader host ranges than bacteria, or fungi, and parasites that infect non-primates had a higher probability of infecting more primate species. The value of the ERGM approach for investigating the processes structing host-parasite networks provided a more complete view on the biogeographic, phylogenetic and ecological traits that influence parasite species richness and parasite sharing among hosts. The results supported some previous analyses and revealed new associations that warrant future research, thus revealing how hosts and parasites interact to form ecological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Herrera
- Duke Lemur Center SAVA Conservation, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - James Moody
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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16
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Evaluating the transmission feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant to 143 mammalian hosts: insights from S protein RBD and host ACE2 interaction studies. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:36. [PMID: 36631570 PMCID: PMC9838434 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-00962-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In comparison to previously known severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, the newly emerged Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant shows higher infectivity in humans. Exceptionally high infectivity of this variant raises concern of its possible transmission via other intermediate hosts. The SARS-CoV-2 infectivity is established via the association of spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD) with host angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. In the course of this study, we investigated the interaction between Omicron S protein RBD with the ACE2 receptor of 143 mammalian hosts including human by protein-protein interaction analysis. The goal of this study was to forecast the likelihood that the virus may infect other mammalian species that coexist with or are close to humans in the household, rural, agricultural, or zoological environments. The Omicron RBD was found to interact with higher binding affinity with the ACE2 receptor of 122 mammalian hosts via different amino acid residues from the human ACE2 (hACE2). The rat (Rattus rattus) ACE2 was found to show the strongest interaction with Omicron RBD with a binding affinity of -1393.6 kcal/mol. These distinct strong binding affinity of RBD of Omicron with host ACE2 indicates a greater potential of new host transmissibility and infection via intermediate hosts. Though expected but the phylogenetic position of the mammalian species may not dictate the Omicron RBD binding to the host ACE2 receptor suggesting an involvement of multiple factors in guiding host divergence of the variant.
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17
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Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 36748702 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There exists an enormous diversity of bacteria capable of human infection, but no up-to-date, publicly accessible list is available. Combining a pragmatic definition of pathogenicity with an extensive search strategy, we report 1513 bacterial pathogens known to infect humans described pre-2021. Of these, 73 % were regarded as established (have infected at least three persons in three or more references) and 27 % as putative (fewer than three known cases). Pathogen species belong to 10 phyla and 24 classes scattered throughout the bacterial phylogeny. We show that new human pathogens are discovered at a rapid rate. Finally, we discuss how our results could be expanded to a database, which could provide a useful resource for microbiologists. Our list is freely available and archived on GitHub and Zenodo and we have provided walkthroughs to facilitate access and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Bartlett
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Daniel Padfield
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Luke Lear
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
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18
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Demographic Expansions and the Emergence of Host Specialization in Genetically Distinct Ecotypes of the Tick-Transmitted Bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0061722. [PMID: 35867580 PMCID: PMC9317897 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00617-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In Europe, genetically distinct ecotypes of the tick-vectored bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum circulate among mammals in three discrete enzootic cycles. To date, potential ecological factors that contributed to the emergence of these divergent ecotypes have been poorly studied. Here, we show that the ecotype that predominantly infects roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is evolutionarily derived. Its divergence from a host generalist ancestor occurred after the last glacial maximum as mammal populations, including roe deer, recolonized the European mainland from southern refugia. We also provide evidence that this host specialist ecotype's effective population size (Ne) has tracked changes in the population of its roe deer host. Specifically, both host and bacterium have undergone substantial increases in Ne over the past 1,500 years. In contrast, we show that while it appears to have undergone a major population expansion starting ~3,500 years ago, in the past 500 years, the contemporary host generalist ecotype has experienced a substantial reduction in genetic diversity levels, possibly as a result of reduced opportunities for transmission between competent hosts. IMPORTANCE The findings of this study reveal specific events important for the evolution of host specialization in a naturally occurring, obligately intracellular bacterial pathogen. Specifically, they show that host range shifts and the emergence of host specialization may occur during periods of population growth in a generalist ancestor. Our results also demonstrate the close correlation between demographic patterns in host and pathogen for a specialist system. These findings have important relevance for understanding the evolution of host range diversity. They may inform future work on host range dynamics, and they provide insights for understanding the emergence of pathogens that have human and veterinary health implications.
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19
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Pruvost O, Ibrahim YE, Sharafaddin AH, Boyer K, Widyawan A, Al‐Saleh MA. Molecular epidemiology of the citrus bacterial pathogen
Xanthomonas citri
pv.
citri
from the Arabian Peninsula reveals a complex structure of specialist and generalist strains. Evol Appl 2022; 15:1423-1435. [PMID: 36187189 PMCID: PMC9488683 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular epidemiology studies are essential to refine our understanding of migrations of phytopathogenic bacteria, the major determining factor in their emergence, and to understand the factors that shape their population structure. Microsatellite and minisatellite typing are useful techniques for deciphering the population structure of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker. This paper presents a molecular epidemiology study, which has improved our understanding of the history of the pathogen's introductions into the Arabian Peninsula, since it was first reported in the 1980s. An unexpectedly high genetic diversity of the pathogen was revealed. The four distinct genetic lineages within X. citri pv. citri, which have been reported throughout the world, were identified in the Arabian Peninsula, most likely as the result of multiple introductions. No copper‐resistant X. citri pv. citri strains were identified. The pathogen's population structure on Mexican lime (their shared host species) was closely examined in two countries, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. We highlighted the marked prevalence of specialist pathotype A* strains in both countries, which suggests that specialist strains of X. citri pv. citri may perform better than generalist strains when they occur concomitantly in this environment. Subclade 4.2 was the prevailing lineage identified. Several analyses (genetic structure deciphered by discriminant analysis of principal components, RST‐based genetic differentiation, geographic structure) congruently suggested the role of human activities in the pathogen's spread. We discuss the implications of these results on the management of Asiatic citrus canker in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasser Eid. Ibrahim
- Department of Plant Protection College of Food and Agriculture Sciences King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460 Riyadh Saudi Arabia
| | - Anwar Hamoud Sharafaddin
- Department of Plant Protection College of Food and Agriculture Sciences King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460 Riyadh Saudi Arabia
| | - Karine Boyer
- CIRAD, UMR PVBMT, F‐97410 Saint Pierre La Réunion France
| | - Arya Widyawan
- Department of Plant Protection College of Food and Agriculture Sciences King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460 Riyadh Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Ali Al‐Saleh
- Department of Plant Protection College of Food and Agriculture Sciences King Saud University, P. O. Box 2460 Riyadh Saudi Arabia
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20
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Balloux F, Tan C, Swadling L, Richard D, Jenner C, Maini M, van Dorp L. The past, current and future epidemiological dynamic of SARS-CoV-2. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 3:iqac003. [PMID: 35872966 PMCID: PMC9278178 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerged in late 2019 in China, and rapidly spread throughout the world to reach all continents. As the virus expanded in its novel human host, viral lineages diversified through the accumulation of around two mutations a month on average. Different viral lineages have replaced each other since the start of the pandemic, with the most successful Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants of concern (VoCs) sequentially sweeping through the world to reach high global prevalence. Neither Alpha nor Delta was characterized by strong immune escape, with their success coming mainly from their higher transmissibility. Omicron is far more prone to immune evasion and spread primarily due to its increased ability to (re-)infect hosts with prior immunity. As host immunity reaches high levels globally through vaccination and prior infection, the epidemic is expected to transition from a pandemic regime to an endemic one where seasonality and waning host immunization are anticipated to become the primary forces shaping future SARS-CoV-2 lineage dynamics. In this review, we consider a body of evidence on the origins, host tropism, epidemiology, genomic and immunogenetic evolution of SARS-CoV-2 including an assessment of other coronaviruses infecting humans. Considering what is known so far, we conclude by delineating scenarios for the future dynamic of SARS-CoV-2, ranging from the good-circulation of a fifth endemic 'common cold' coronavirus of potentially low virulence, the bad-a situation roughly comparable with seasonal flu, and the ugly-extensive diversification into serotypes with long-term high-level endemicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Cedric Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138672 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Leo Swadling
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | - Damien Richard
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | - Charlotte Jenner
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Mala Maini
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London NW3 2PP, UK
| | - Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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21
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Urban-adapted mammal species have more known pathogens. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:794-801. [PMID: 35501480 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01723-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The world is rapidly urbanizing, inviting mounting concern that urban environments will experience increased zoonotic disease risk. Urban animals could have more frequent contact with humans, therefore transmitting more zoonotic parasites; however, this relationship is complicated by sampling bias and phenotypic confounders. Here we test whether urban mammal species host more zoonotic parasites, investigating the underlying drivers alongside a suite of phenotypic, taxonomic and geographic predictors. We found that urban-adapted mammals have more documented parasites and more zoonotic parasites: despite comprising only 6% of investigated species, urban mammals provided 39% of known host-parasite combinations. However, contrary to predictions, much of the observed effect was attributable to parasite discovery and research effort rather than to urban adaptation status, and urban-adapted species in fact hosted fewer zoonotic parasites than expected on the basis of their total parasite richness. We conclude that extended historical contact with humans has had a limited impact on zoonotic parasite richness in urban-adapted mammals; instead, their greater observed zoonotic richness probably reflects sampling bias arising from proximity to humans, supporting a near-universal conflation between zoonotic risk, research effort and synanthropy. These findings underscore the need to resolve the mechanisms linking anthropogenic change, sampling bias and observed wildlife disease dynamics.
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22
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Evans MV, Drake JM. A Data-driven Horizon Scan of Bacterial Pathogens at the Wildlife-livestock Interface. ECOHEALTH 2022; 19:246-258. [PMID: 35666334 PMCID: PMC9168633 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-022-01599-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many livestock diseases rely on wildlife for the transmission or maintenance of the pathogen, and the wildlife-livestock interface represents a potential site of disease emergence for novel pathogens in livestock. Predicting which pathogen species are most likely to emerge in the future is an important challenge for infectious disease surveillance and intelligence. We used a machine learning approach to conduct a data-driven horizon scan of bacterial associations at the wildlife-livestock interface for cows, sheep, and pigs. Our model identified and ranked from 76 to 189 potential novel bacterial species that might associate with each livestock species. Wildlife reservoirs of known and novel bacteria were shared among all three species, suggesting that targeting surveillance and/or control efforts towards these reservoirs could contribute disproportionately to reducing spillover risk to livestock. By predicting pathogen-host associations at the wildlife-livestock interface, we demonstrate one way to plan for and prevent disease emergence in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle V Evans
- MIVEGEC, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 34000, Montpellier, France.
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, 30606, USA.
- Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30606, USA.
| | - John M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, 30606, USA
- Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30606, USA
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23
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Galen SC, Ray S, Henry M, Weckstein JD. Parasite-associated mortality in birds: the roles of specialist parasites and host evolutionary distance. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210575. [PMID: 35414225 PMCID: PMC9006019 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors that influence whether a parasite is likely to cause death in a given host species are not well known. Generalist parasites with high local abundances, broad distributions and the ability to infect a wide phylogenetic diversity of hosts are often considered especially dangerous for host populations, though comparatively little research has been done on the potential for specialist parasites to cause host mortality. Here, using a novel database of avian mortality records, we tested whether phylogenetic host specialist or host generalist haemosporidian blood parasites were associated with avian host deaths based on infection records from over 81 000 examined hosts. In support of the hypothesis that host specialist parasites can be highly virulent in novel hosts, we found that the parasites that were associated with avian host mortality predominantly infected more closely related host species than expected under a null model. Hosts that died tended to be distantly related to the host species that a parasite lineage typically infects, illustrating that specialist parasites can cause death outside of their limited host range. Overall, this study highlights the overlooked potential for host specialist parasites to cause host mortality despite their constrained ecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C Galen
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Loyola Science Center, Scranton, PA 18510, USA.,Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Suravi Ray
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Marissa Henry
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
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24
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Biological invasions facilitate zoonotic disease emergences. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1762. [PMID: 35365665 PMCID: PMC8975888 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29378-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of zoonotic diseases are accelerating at an unprecedented rate in the current era of globalization, with substantial impacts on the global economy, public health, and sustainability. Alien species invasions have been hypothesized to be important to zoonotic diseases by introducing both existing and novel pathogens to invaded ranges. However, few studies have evaluated the generality of alien species facilitating zoonoses across multiple host and parasite taxa worldwide. Here, we simultaneously quantify the role of 795 established alien hosts on the 10,473 zoonosis events across the globe since the 14th century. We observe an average of ~5.9 zoonoses per alien zoonotic host. After accounting for species-, disease-, and geographic-level sampling biases, spatial autocorrelation, and the lack of independence of zoonosis events, we find that the number of zoonosis events increase with the richness of alien zoonotic hosts, both across space and through time. We also detect positive associations between the number of zoonosis events per unit space and climate change, land-use change, biodiversity loss, human population density, and PubMed citations. These findings suggest that alien host introductions have likely contributed to zoonosis emergences throughout recent history and that minimizing future zoonotic host species introductions could have global health benefits. Alien species invasions are thought to be important to zoonotic diseases through the introduction of both existing and novel pathogens to invaded ranges. Using data from 795 established alien animals and 10,473 zoonosis events worldwide, this study examines the role of alien zoonotic hosts on zoonosis emergences after accounting for climate, propagule pressure, global change and sampling bias.
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25
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Abstract
Data that catalogue viral diversity on Earth have been fragmented across sources, disciplines, formats, and various degrees of open sharing, posing challenges for research on macroecology, evolution, and public health. Here, we solve this problem by establishing a dynamically maintained database of vertebrate-virus associations, called The Global Virome in One Network (VIRION). The VIRION database has been assembled through both reconciliation of static data sets and integration of dynamically updated databases. These data sources are all harmonized against one taxonomic backbone, including metadata on host and virus taxonomic validity and higher classification; additional metadata on sampling methodology and evidence strength are also available in a harmonized format. In total, the VIRION database is the largest open-source, open-access database of its kind, with roughly half a million unique records that include 9,521 resolved virus “species” (of which 1,661 are ICTV ratified), 3,692 resolved vertebrate host species, and 23,147 unique interactions between taxonomically valid organisms. Together, these data cover roughly a quarter of mammal diversity, a 10th of bird diversity, and ∼6% of the estimated total diversity of vertebrates, and a much larger proportion of their virome than any previous database. We show how these data can be used to test hypotheses about microbiology, ecology, and evolution and make suggestions for best practices that address the unique mix of evidence that coexists in these data.
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26
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Ghorbani A, Samarfard S, Jajarmi M, Bagheri M, Karbanowicz TP, Afsharifar A, Eskandari MH, Niazi A, Izadpanah K. Highlight of potential impact of new viral genotypes of SARS-CoV-2 on vaccines and anti-viral therapeutics. GENE REPORTS 2022; 26:101537. [PMID: 35128175 PMCID: PMC8808475 DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2022.101537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, has infected millions of people globally. Genetic variation and selective pressures lead to the accumulation of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the viral genome that may affect virulence, transmission rate, viral recognition and the efficacy of prophylactic and interventional measures. To address these concerns at the genomic level, we assessed the phylogeny and SNPs of the SARS-CoV-2 mutant population collected to date in Iran in relation to globally reported variants. Phylogenetic analysis of mutant strains revealed the occurrence of the variants known as B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.525 (Eta), and B.1.617 (Delta) that appear to have delineated independently in Iran. SNP analysis of the Iranian sequences revealed that the mutations were predominantly positioned within the S protein-coding region, with most SNPs localizing to the S1 subunit. Seventeen S1-localizing SNPs occurred in the RNA binding domain that interacts with ACE2 of the host cell. Importantly, many of these SNPs are predicted to influence the binding of antibodies and anti-viral therapeutics, indicating that the adaptive host response appears to be imposing a selective pressure that is driving the evolution of the virus in this closed population through enhancing virulence. The SNPs detected within these mutant cohorts are addressed with respect to current prophylactic measures and therapeutic interventions.
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Key Words
- ACE2, Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
- Antiviral drugs
- Bioinformatics
- CSSE, Center for Systems Science and Engineering
- E, Envelope
- FP, Fusion peptide
- HR1, Heptad repeat 1
- HR2, Heptad repeat 2
- IC, Intracellular domain
- JHU, Johns Hopkins University
- M, Membrane
- Mutation detection
- N, Nucleocapsid
- NAG, N-acetylglucosamine
- NSP, Non-structural proteins
- NTD, N-terminal domain
- Phylogenetic analysis
- RBD, Receptor-binding domain
- S, Spike glycoprotein
- SARS-CoV-2
- SARS-CoV-2, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2;
- SD1, Subdomain 1
- SD2, Subdomain 2
- SNP, Single nucleotide polymorphism
- SP, Structural proteins
- TM, Transmembrane region
- UTRs, Untranslated regions
- Viral vaccines
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Affiliation(s)
- Abozar Ghorbani
- Plant Virology Research Centre, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Samira Samarfard
- Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory, Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Berrimah, NT 0828 Australia
| | - Maziar Jajarmi
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahboube Bagheri
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Bardsir Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Afsharifar
- Plant Virology Research Centre, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Eskandari
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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27
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Abstract
The twenty-first century has witnessed a wave of severe infectious disease outbreaks, not least the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods around the globe. The 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak, the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak, the 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa and the 2015 Zika virus disease epidemic all resulted in substantial morbidity and mortality while spreading across borders to infect people in multiple countries. At the same time, the past few decades have ushered in an unprecedented era of technological, demographic and climatic change: airline flights have doubled since 2000, since 2007 more people live in urban areas than rural areas, population numbers continue to climb and climate change presents an escalating threat to society. In this Review, we consider the extent to which these recent global changes have increased the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, even as improved sanitation and access to health care have resulted in considerable progress worldwide.
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28
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Gibb R, Albery GF, Mollentze N, Eskew EA, Brierley L, Ryan SJ, Seifert SN, Carlson CJ. Mammal virus diversity estimates are unstable due to accelerating discovery effort. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210427. [PMID: 34982955 PMCID: PMC8727147 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-virus association data underpin research into the distribution and eco-evolutionary correlates of viral diversity and zoonotic risk across host species. However, current knowledge of the wildlife virome is inherently constrained by historical discovery effort, and there are concerns that the reliability of ecological inference from host-virus data may be undermined by taxonomic and geographical sampling biases. Here, we evaluate whether current estimates of host-level viral diversity in wild mammals are stable enough to be considered biologically meaningful, by analysing a comprehensive dataset of discovery dates of 6571 unique mammal host-virus associations between 1930 and 2018. We show that virus discovery rates in mammal hosts are either constant or accelerating, with little evidence of declines towards viral richness asymptotes, even in highly sampled hosts. Consequently, inference of relative viral richness across host species has been unstable over time, particularly in bats, where intensified surveillance since the early 2000s caused a rapid rearrangement of species' ranked viral richness. Our results illustrate that comparative inference of host-level virus diversity across mammals is highly sensitive to even short-term changes in sampling effort. We advise caution to avoid overinterpreting patterns in current data, since it is feasible that an analysis conducted today could draw quite different conclusions than one conducted only a decade ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Gibb
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Nardus Mollentze
- Medical Research Council - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Evan A. Eskew
- Department of Biology, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Liam Brierley
- Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sadie J. Ryan
- Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- College of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Stephanie N. Seifert
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Colin J. Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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29
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Doelger J, Chakraborty AK, Kardar M. A simple model for how the risk of pandemics from different virus families depends on viral and human traits. Math Biosci 2022; 343:108732. [PMID: 34748882 PMCID: PMC8570818 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2021.108732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Different virus families, like influenza or corona viruses, exhibit characteristic traits such as typical modes of transmission and replication as well as specific animal reservoirs in which each family of viruses circulate. These traits of genetically related groups of viruses influence how easily an animal virus can adapt to infect humans, how well novel human variants can spread in the population, and the risk of causing a global pandemic. Relating the traits of virus families to their risk of causing future pandemics, and identification of the key time scales within which public health interventions can control the spread of a new virus that could cause a pandemic, are obviously significant. We address these issues using a minimal model whose parameters are related to characteristic traits of different virus families. A key trait of viruses that "spillover" from animal reservoirs to infect humans is their ability to propagate infection through the human population (fitness). We find that the risk of pandemics emerging from virus families characterized by a wide distribution of the fitness of spillover strains is much higher than if such strains were characterized by narrow fitness distributions around the same mean. The dependences of the risk of a pandemic on various model parameters exhibit inflection points. We find that these inflection points define informative thresholds. For example, the inflection point in variation of pandemic risk with time after the spillover represents a threshold time beyond which global interventions would likely be too late to prevent a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Doelger
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Arup K Chakraborty
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Mehran Kardar
- Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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30
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Baquero F, Martínez JL, F. Lanza V, Rodríguez-Beltrán J, Galán JC, San Millán A, Cantón R, Coque TM. Evolutionary Pathways and Trajectories in Antibiotic Resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005019. [PMID: 34190572 PMCID: PMC8404696 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00050-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution is the hallmark of life. Descriptions of the evolution of microorganisms have provided a wealth of information, but knowledge regarding "what happened" has precluded a deeper understanding of "how" evolution has proceeded, as in the case of antimicrobial resistance. The difficulty in answering the "how" question lies in the multihierarchical dimensions of evolutionary processes, nested in complex networks, encompassing all units of selection, from genes to communities and ecosystems. At the simplest ontological level (as resistance genes), evolution proceeds by random (mutation and drift) and directional (natural selection) processes; however, sequential pathways of adaptive variation can occasionally be observed, and under fixed circumstances (particular fitness landscapes), evolution is predictable. At the highest level (such as that of plasmids, clones, species, microbiotas), the systems' degrees of freedom increase dramatically, related to the variable dispersal, fragmentation, relatedness, or coalescence of bacterial populations, depending on heterogeneous and changing niches and selective gradients in complex environments. Evolutionary trajectories of antibiotic resistance find their way in these changing landscapes subjected to random variations, becoming highly entropic and therefore unpredictable. However, experimental, phylogenetic, and ecogenetic analyses reveal preferential frequented paths (highways) where antibiotic resistance flows and propagates, allowing some understanding of evolutionary dynamics, modeling and designing interventions. Studies on antibiotic resistance have an applied aspect in improving individual health, One Health, and Global Health, as well as an academic value for understanding evolution. Most importantly, they have a heuristic significance as a model to reduce the negative influence of anthropogenic effects on the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. L. Martínez
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - V. F. Lanza
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Central Bioinformatics Unit, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. C. Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - A. San Millán
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Cantón
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - T. M. Coque
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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31
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Roberts M, Dobson A, Restif O, Wells K. Challenges in modelling the dynamics of infectious diseases at the wildlife-human interface. Epidemics 2021; 37:100523. [PMID: 34856500 PMCID: PMC8603269 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2021.100523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic is of zoonotic origin, and many other emerging infections of humans have their origin in an animal host population. We review the challenges involved in modelling the dynamics of wildlife–human interfaces governing infectious disease emergence and spread. We argue that we need a better understanding of the dynamic nature of such interfaces, the underpinning diversity of pathogens and host–pathogen association networks, and the scales and frequencies at which environmental conditions enable spillover and host shifting from animals to humans to occur. The major drivers of the emergence of zoonoses are anthropogenic, including the global change in climate and land use. These, and other ecological processes pose challenges that must be overcome to counterbalance pandemic risk. The development of more detailed and nuanced models will provide better tools for analysing and understanding infectious disease emergence and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mick Roberts
- School of Natural & Computational Sciences, New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study and the Infectious Disease Research Centre, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Andrew Dobson
- EEB, Eno Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Hyde Park Rd., Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Olivier Restif
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
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32
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Albery GF, Becker DJ, Brierley L, Brook CE, Christofferson RC, Cohen LE, Dallas TA, Eskew EA, Fagre A, Farrell MJ, Glennon E, Guth S, Joseph MB, Mollentze N, Neely BA, Poisot T, Rasmussen AL, Ryan SJ, Seifert S, Sjodin AR, Sorrell EM, Carlson CJ. The science of the host-virus network. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:1483-1492. [PMID: 34819645 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00999-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Better methods to predict and prevent the emergence of zoonotic viruses could support future efforts to reduce the risk of epidemics. We propose a network science framework for understanding and predicting human and animal susceptibility to viral infections. Related approaches have so far helped to identify basic biological rules that govern cross-species transmission and structure the global virome. We highlight ways to make modelling both accurate and actionable, and discuss the barriers that prevent researchers from translating viral ecology into public health policies that could prevent future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA.
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Liam Brierley
- Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Cara E Brook
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Lily E Cohen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tad A Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Evan A Eskew
- Department of Biology, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Anna Fagre
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Maxwell J Farrell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma Glennon
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah Guth
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell B Joseph
- Earth Lab, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Nardus Mollentze
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Benjamin A Neely
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Angela L Rasmussen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Sadie J Ryan
- Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Stephanie Seifert
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Anna R Sjodin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Erin M Sorrell
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
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33
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Herrera JP, Moody J, Nunn CL. Predictions of primate-parasite coextinction. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200355. [PMID: 34538137 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Future biodiversity loss threatens the integrity of complex ecological associations, including among hosts and parasites. Almost half of primate species are threatened with extinction, and the loss of threatened hosts could negatively impact parasite associations and ecosystem functions. If endangered hosts are highly connected in host-parasite networks, then future host extinctions will also drive parasite extinctions, destabilizing ecological networks. If threatened hosts are not highly connected, however, then network structure should not be greatly affected by the loss of threatened hosts. Networks with high connectance, modularity, nestedness and robustness are more resilient to perturbations such as the loss of interactions than sparse, nonmodular and non-nested networks. We analysed the interaction network involving 213 primates and 763 parasites and removed threatened primates (114 species) to simulate the effects of extinction. Our analyses revealed that connections to 23% of primate parasites (176 species) may be lost if threatened primates go extinct. In addition, measures of network structure were affected, but in varying ways because threatened hosts have fewer parasite interactions than non-threatened hosts. These results reveal that host extinctions will perturb the host-parasite network and potentially lead to secondary extinctions of parasites. The ecological consequences of these extinctions remain unclear. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe'.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Herrera
- Duke Lemur Center SAVA Conservation, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James Moody
- Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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34
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Tan CCS, Owen CJ, Tham CYL, Bertoletti A, van Dorp L, Balloux F. Pre-existing T cell-mediated cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 cannot solely be explained by prior exposure to endemic human coronaviruses. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2021; 95:105075. [PMID: 34509646 PMCID: PMC8428999 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
T-cell-mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides in individuals unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 has been previously reported. This pre-existing immunity was suggested to largely derive from prior exposure to 'common cold' endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs). To test this, we characterised the sequence homology of SARS-CoV-2-derived T-cell epitopes reported in the literature across the full proteome of the Coronaviridae family. 54.8% of these epitopes had no homology to any of the HCoVs. Further, the proportion of SARS-CoV-2-derived epitopes with any level of sequence homology to the proteins encoded by any of the coronaviruses tested is well-predicted by their alignment-free phylogenetic distance to SARS-CoV-2 (Pearson's r = -0.958). No coronavirus in our dataset showed a significant excess of T-cell epitope homology relative to the proportion of expected random matches, given their genetic similarity to SARS-CoV-2. Our findings suggest that prior exposure to human or animal-associated coronaviruses cannot completely explain the T-cell repertoire in unexposed individuals that recognise SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric C S Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
| | - Christopher J Owen
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Y L Tham
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Antonio Bertoletti
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Francois Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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35
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Glennon EE, Bruijning M, Lessler J, Miller IF, Rice BL, Thompson RN, Wells K, Metcalf CJE. Challenges in modeling the emergence of novel pathogens. Epidemics 2021; 37:100516. [PMID: 34775298 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2021.100516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of infectious agents with pandemic potential present scientific challenges from detection to data interpretation to understanding determinants of risk and forecasts. Mathematical models could play an essential role in how we prepare for future emergent pathogens. Here, we describe core directions for expansion of the existing tools and knowledge base, including: using mathematical models to identify critical directions and paths for strengthening data collection to detect and respond to outbreaks of novel pathogens; expanding basic theory to identify infectious agents and contexts that present the greatest risks, over both the short and longer term; by strengthening estimation tools that make the most use of the likely range and uncertainties in existing data; and by ensuring modelling applications are carefully communicated and developed within diverse and equitable collaborations for increased public health benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Glennon
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
| | - Marjolein Bruijning
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Justin Lessler
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian F Miller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Benjamin L Rice
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Madagascar Health and Environmental Research (MAHERY), Maroantsetra, Madagascar
| | - Robin N Thompson
- Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Warwick CV4 7AL, UK; The Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research, University of Warwick, Warwick CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA28PP, UK
| | - C Jessica E Metcalf
- Disease Dynamics Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK; Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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36
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Imrie RM, Roberts KE, Longdon B. Between virus correlations in the outcome of infection across host species: Evidence of virus by host species interactions. Evol Lett 2021; 5:472-483. [PMID: 34621534 PMCID: PMC8484721 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus host shifts are a major source of outbreaks and emerging infectious diseases, and predicting the outcome of novel host and virus interactions remains a key challenge for virus research. The evolutionary relationships between host species can explain variation in transmission rates, virulence, and virus community composition between hosts, but it is unclear if correlations exist between related viruses in infection traits across novel hosts. Here, we measure correlations in viral load of four Cripavirus isolates across experimental infections of 45 Drosophilidae host species. We find positive correlations between every pair of viruses tested, suggesting that some host clades show broad susceptibility and could act as reservoirs and donors for certain types of viruses. Additionally, we find evidence of virus by host species interactions, highlighting the importance of both host and virus traits in determining the outcome of virus host shifts. Of the four viruses tested here, those that were more closely related tended to be more strongly correlated, providing tentative evidence that virus evolutionary relatedness may be a useful proxy for determining the likelihood of novel virus emergence, which warrants further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Imrie
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynTR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Katherine E. Roberts
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynTR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
| | - Ben Longdon
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterPenrynTR10 9FEUnited Kingdom
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37
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Seal S, Dharmarajan G, Khan I. Evolution of pathogen tolerance and emerging infections: A missing experimental paradigm. eLife 2021; 10:e68874. [PMID: 34544548 PMCID: PMC8455132 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers worldwide are repeatedly warning us against future zoonotic diseases resulting from humankind's insurgence into natural ecosystems. The same zoonotic pathogens that cause severe infections in a human host frequently fail to produce any disease outcome in their natural hosts. What precise features of the immune system enable natural reservoirs to carry these pathogens so efficiently? To understand these effects, we highlight the importance of tracing the evolutionary basis of pathogen tolerance in reservoir hosts, while drawing implications from their diverse physiological and life-history traits, and ecological contexts of host-pathogen interactions. Long-term co-evolution might allow reservoir hosts to modulate immunity and evolve tolerance to zoonotic pathogens, increasing their circulation and infectious period. Such processes can also create a genetically diverse pathogen pool by allowing more mutations and genetic exchanges between circulating strains, thereby harboring rare alive-on-arrival variants with extended infectivity to new hosts (i.e., spillover). Finally, we end by underscoring the indispensability of a large multidisciplinary empirical framework to explore the proposed link between evolved tolerance, pathogen prevalence, and spillover in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of GeorgiaAikenUnited States
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38
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Abstract
Our understanding of the host component of sepsis has made significant progress. However, detailed study of the microorganisms causing sepsis, either as single pathogens or microbial assemblages, has received far less attention. Metagenomic data offer opportunities to characterize the microbial communities found in septic and healthy individuals. In this study we apply gradient-boosted tree classifiers and a novel computational decontamination technique built upon SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to identify microbial hallmarks which discriminate blood metagenomic samples of septic patients from that of healthy individuals. Classifiers had high performance when using the read assignments to microbial genera [area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC=0.995)], including after removal of species ‘culture-confirmed’ as the cause of sepsis through clinical testing (AUROC=0.915). Models trained on single genera were inferior to those employing a polymicrobial model and we identified multiple co-occurring bacterial genera absent from healthy controls. While prevailing diagnostic paradigms seek to identify single pathogens, our results point to the involvement of a polymicrobial community in sepsis. We demonstrate the importance of the microbial component in characterising sepsis, which may offer new biological insights into the aetiology of sepsis, and ultimately support the development of clinical diagnostic or even prognostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Chih Shen Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Mislav Acman
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Francois Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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39
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Liang Y, Hu F, Fan H, Li L, Wan Z, Wang H, Shui J, Zhou Y, Tong Y, Cai W, Tang S. Difference of Intrahost Dynamics of the Second Human Pegivirus and Hepatitis C Virus in HPgV-2/HCV-Coinfected Patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:728415. [PMID: 34466405 PMCID: PMC8403064 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.728415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The second human pegivirus (HPgV-2) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) belong to the Flaviviridae family and share some common genome features. However, the two viruses exhibit significantly different genetic diversity. The comparison of intrahost dynamics of HPgV-2 and HCV that mainly reflect virus-host interactions is needed to elucidate their intrahost difference of genetic diversity and the possible mechanisms. Methods Intrahost single nucleotide variations (iSNVs) were identified by means of next-generation sequencing from both cross-sectional and longitudinal samples from HPgV-2- and HCV-coinfected patients. The levels of human cytokines were quantified in the patient before and after HCV elimination by the treatment of direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Results Unlike HCV, the viral sequences of HPgV-2 are highly conserved among HPgV-2-infected patients. However, iSNV analysis confirmed the intrahost variation or quasispecies of HPgV-2. Almost all iSNVs of HPgV-2 did not accumulate or transmit within host over time, which may explain the highly conserved HPgV-2 consensus sequence. Intrahost variation of HPgV-2 mainly causes nucleotide transition in particular at the 3rd codon position and synonymous substitutions, indicating purifying or negative selection posed by host immune system. Cytokine data further indicate that HPgV-2 infection alone may not efficiently stimulate innate immune responses since proinflammatory cytokine expression dramatically decreased with elimination of HCV. Conclusion This study provided new insights into the intrahost genomic variations and evolutionary dynamics of HPgV-2 as well as the impact of host immune selection and virus polymerase on virus evolution. The different genetic diversity of HPgV-2 and HCV makes HPgV-2 a potential new model to investigate RNA virus diversity and the mechanism of viral polymerase in modulating virus replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhao Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengyu Hu
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Linghua Li
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhengwei Wan
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiying Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingwei Shui
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanping Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- School of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Weiping Cai
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shixing Tang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China
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40
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Gibb R, Albery GF, Becker DJ, Brierley L, Connor R, Dallas TA, Eskew EA, Farrell MJ, Rasmussen AL, Ryan SJ, Sweeny A, Carlson CJ, Poisot T. Data Proliferation, Reconciliation, and Synthesis in Viral Ecology. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The fields of viral ecology and evolution are rapidly expanding, motivated in part by concerns around emerging zoonoses. One consequence is the proliferation of host–virus association data, which underpin viral macroecology and zoonotic risk prediction but remain fragmented across numerous data portals. In the present article, we propose that synthesis of host–virus data is a central challenge to characterize the global virome and develop foundational theory in viral ecology. To illustrate this, we build an open database of mammal host–virus associations that reconciles four published data sets. We show that this offers a substantially richer view of the known virome than any individual source data set but also that databases such as these risk becoming out of date as viral discovery accelerates. We argue for a shift in practice toward the development, incremental updating, and use of synthetic data sets in viral ecology, to improve replicability and facilitate work to predict the structure and dynamics of the global virome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Gibb
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, England, United Kingdom
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman Oklahoma, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Liam Brierley
- Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Ryan Connor
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Tad A Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Evan A Eskew
- Department of Biology, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Maxwell J Farrell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Angela L Rasmussen
- Vaccine Infectious Disease Organization and International Vaccine Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Sadie J Ryan
- Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation Lab, Department of Geography and with the Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States, and with the College of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Amy Sweeny
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, and with the Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, both in Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Viral Emergence Research Initiative consortium, a global scientific collaboration to predict which viruses could infect humans, which animals host them, and where they could emerge
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41
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Dharmarajan G, Gupta P, Vishnudas CK, Robin VV. Anthropogenic disturbance favours generalist over specialist parasites in bird communities: Implications for risk of disease emergence. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1859-1868. [PMID: 34120404 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Niche theory predicts specialists which will be more sensitive to environmental perturbation compared to generalists, a hypothesis receiving broad support in free-living species. Based on their niche breadth, parasites can also be classified as specialists and generalists, with specialists infecting only a few and generalists a diverse array of host species. Here, using avian haemosporidian parasites infecting wild bird populations inhabiting the Western Ghats, India as a model system, we elucidate how climate, habitat and human disturbance affects parasite prevalence both directly and indirectly via their effects on host diversity. Our data demonstrate that anthropogenic disturbance acts to reduce the prevalence of specialist parasite lineages, while increasing that of generalist lineages. Thus, as in free-living species, disturbance favours parasite communities dominated by generalist versus specialist species. Because generalist parasites are more likely to cause emerging infectious diseases, such biotic homogenisation of parasite communities could increase disease emergence risk in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Pooja Gupta
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India
| | - C K Vishnudas
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - V V Robin
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
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42
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Human Coronavirus: Envelope Protein Evolution. JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.22207/jpam.15.2.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Envelope protein of human coronavirus play significant role in an evolution and mutation of the virus life cycle. In the present research, the author evaluated amino acid sequences, its abundance and GC content of the genes that corresponds to envelope proteins’ of the human coronaviruses, identified from year 2003-2019. It includes SARS-CoV (2003), HCoV-NL-63 (2003), HCoV-HKU-1 (2004), MERS-CoV (2013), and SARS-CoV-2 (2019). The present research findings illustrated a point mutation in D2 location of SARS-CoV-2 (2019), representing Arginine in the place of Glutamic acid (SARS-CoV, 2003) where glycine was found deleted. SARS-CoV-2 (2019) coronavirus revealed increased abundance of Glutamic acid (100%), Asparagine (67%), Serine (300%) and Valine (85.7%) in comparison with HCoV-NL-63 (2003). We observed lower GC content in the SARS-CoV-2 (2019) among SARS-CoV (2003) and MERS-CoV (2013). The present findings have evolutionary significance and indicate SARS-CoV-2 (2019) adaptation in human.
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43
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Hryhorowicz S, Ustaszewski A, Kaczmarek-Ryś M, Lis E, Witt M, Pławski A, Ziętkiewicz E. European context of the diversity and phylogenetic position of SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Polish COVID-19 patients. J Appl Genet 2021; 62:327-337. [PMID: 33400131 PMCID: PMC7783481 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-020-00603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
To provide a comprehensive analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 sequence diversity in Poland in the European context. All publicly available (n = 115; GISAID database) whole-genome SARS-Cov-2 sequences from Polish samples, including those obtained during coronavirus testing performed in our COVID-19 Lab, were examined. Multiple sequence alignment of Polish isolates, phylogenetic analysis (ML tree), and multidimensional scaling (based on the pairwise DNA distances) were complemented by the comparison of the coronavirus clades frequency and diversity in the subset of over 5000 European GISAID sequences. Approximately seventy-seven percent of isolates in the European dataset carried frequent and ubiquitously found haplotypes; the remaining haplotype diversity was population-specific and resulted from population-specific mutations, homoplasies, and recombinations. Coronavirus strains circulating in Poland represented the variability found in other European countries. The prevalence of clades circulating in Poland was shifted in favor of GR, both in terms of the diversity (number of distinct haplotypes) and the frequency (number of isolates) of the clade. Polish-specific haplotypes were rare and could be explained by changes affecting common European strains. The analysis of the whole viral genomes allowed detection of several tight clusters of isolates, presumably reflecting local outbreaks. New mutations, homoplasies, and, to a smaller extent, recombinations increase SARS-CoV-2 haplotype diversity, but the majority of these variants do not increase in frequency and remains rare and population-specific. The spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 haplotypes in the Polish dataset reflects many independent transfers from a variety of sources, followed by many local outbreaks. The prevalence of the sequences belonging to the GR clade among Polish isolates is consistent with the European trend of the GR clade frequency increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szymon Hryhorowicz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Ustaszewski
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marta Kaczmarek-Ryś
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Emilia Lis
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Michał Witt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Andrzej Pławski
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
| | - Ewa Ziętkiewicz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland
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44
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Dallas TA, Becker DJ. Taxonomic resolution affects host-parasite association model performance. Parasitology 2021; 148:584-590. [PMID: 33342442 PMCID: PMC10950372 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the factors that structure host–parasite interactions is fundamental to understand the drivers of species distributions and to predict novel cross-species transmission events. More phylogenetically related host species tend to have more similar parasite associations, but parasite specificity may vary as a function of transmission mode, parasite taxonomy or life history. Accordingly, analyses that attempt to infer host−parasite associations using combined data on different parasite groups may perform quite differently relative to analyses on each parasite subset. In essence, are more data always better when predicting host−parasite associations, or does parasite taxonomic resolution matter? Here, we explore how taxonomic resolution affects predictive models of host−parasite associations using the London Natural History Museum's database of host–helminth interactions. Using boosted regression trees, we demonstrate that taxon-specific models (i.e. of Acanthocephalans, Nematodes and Platyhelminthes) consistently outperform full models in predicting mammal-helminth associations. At finer spatial resolutions, full and taxon-specific model performance does not vary, suggesting tradeoffs between phylogenetic and spatial scales of analysis. Although all models identify similar host and parasite covariates as important to such patterns, our results emphasize the importance of phylogenetic scale in the study of host–parasite interactions and suggest that using taxonomic subsets of data may improve predictions of parasite distributions and cross-species transmission. Predictive models of host–pathogen interactions should thus attempt to encompass the spatial resolution and phylogenetic scale desired for inference and prediction and potentially use model averaging or ensemble models to combine predictions from separately trained models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad A. Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA70802, USA
| | - Daniel J. Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019, USA
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45
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Pöntinen AK, Top J, Arredondo-Alonso S, Tonkin-Hill G, Freitas AR, Novais C, Gladstone RA, Pesonen M, Meneses R, Pesonen H, Lees JA, Jamrozy D, Bentley SD, Lanza VF, Torres C, Peixe L, Coque TM, Parkhill J, Schürch AC, Willems RJL, Corander J. Apparent nosocomial adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis predates the modern hospital era. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1523. [PMID: 33750782 PMCID: PMC7943827 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21749-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal and nosocomial pathogen, which is also ubiquitous in animals and insects, representing a classical generalist microorganism. Here, we study E. faecalis isolates ranging from the pre-antibiotic era in 1936 up to 2018, covering a large set of host species including wild birds, mammals, healthy humans, and hospitalised patients. We sequence the bacterial genomes using short- and long-read techniques, and identify multiple extant hospital-associated lineages, with last common ancestors dating back as far as the 19th century. We find a population cohesively connected through homologous recombination, a metabolic flexibility despite a small genome size, and a stable large core genome. Our findings indicate that the apparent hospital adaptations found in hospital-associated E. faecalis lineages likely predate the "modern hospital" era, suggesting selection in another niche, and underlining the generalist nature of this nosocomial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Pöntinen
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Janetta Top
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sergio Arredondo-Alonso
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ana R Freitas
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla Novais
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rebecca A Gladstone
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Maiju Pesonen
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Oslo University Hospital Research Support Services, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rodrigo Meneses
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henri Pesonen
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - John A Lees
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dorota Jamrozy
- Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Carmen Torres
- Department of Food and Agriculture, Area of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
| | - Luisa Peixe
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Teresa M Coque
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anita C Schürch
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rob J L Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jukka Corander
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
- Helsinki Institute of Information Technology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Wang Y, Wang D, Zhang L, Sun W, Zhang Z, Chen W, Zhu A, Huang Y, Xiao F, Yao J, Gan M, Li F, Luo L, Huang X, Zhang Y, Wong SS, Cheng X, Ji J, Ou Z, Xiao M, Li M, Li J, Ren P, Deng Z, Zhong H, Xu X, Song T, Mok CKP, Peiris M, Zhong N, Zhao J, Li Y, Li J, Zhao J. Intra-host variation and evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 populations in COVID-19 patients. Genome Med 2021; 13:30. [PMID: 33618765 PMCID: PMC7898256 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00847-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since early February 2021, the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, has infected over 104 million people with more than 2 million deaths according to official reports. The key to understanding the biology and virus-host interactions of SARS-CoV-2 requires the knowledge of mutation and evolution of this virus at both inter- and intra-host levels. However, despite quite a few polymorphic sites identified among SARS-CoV-2 populations, intra-host variant spectra and their evolutionary dynamics remain mostly unknown. METHODS Using high-throughput sequencing of metatranscriptomic and hybrid captured libraries, we characterized consensus genomes and intra-host single nucleotide variations (iSNVs) of serial samples collected from eight patients with COVID-19. The distribution of iSNVs along the SARS-CoV-2 genome was analyzed and co-occurring iSNVs among COVID-19 patients were identified. We also compared the evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 population in the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). RESULTS The 32 consensus genomes revealed the co-existence of different genotypes within the same patient. We further identified 40 intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs). Most (30/40) iSNVs presented in a single patient, while ten iSNVs were found in at least two patients or identical to consensus variants. Comparing allele frequencies of the iSNVs revealed a clear genetic differentiation between intra-host populations from the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), mostly driven by bottleneck events during intra-host migrations. Compared to RT populations, the GIT populations showed a better maintenance and rapid development of viral genetic diversity following the suspected intra-host bottlenecks. CONCLUSIONS Our findings here illustrate the intra-host bottlenecks and evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in different anatomic sites and may provide new insights to understand the virus-host interactions of coronaviruses and other RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Daxi Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Institute of Infectious Disease, Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China
| | - Wanying Sun
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Zhaoyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Weijun Chen
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Airu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongbo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Fei Xiao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinxiu Yao
- Yangjiang People's Hospital, Yangjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Mian Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Ling Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaofang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Sook-San Wong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinyi Cheng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingkai Ji
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Zhihua Ou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Minfeng Xiao
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Min Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Jiandong Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Peidi Ren
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Ziqing Deng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Huanzi Zhong
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Tie Song
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, 511430, Guangdong, China
| | - Chris Ka Pun Mok
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- The HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 19406, China
| | - Malik Peiris
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- The HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 19406, China
| | - Nanshan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingxian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yimin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
| | - Junhua Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
- Institute of Infectious Disease, Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China.
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47
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Iatsenko V, Boyarshin K, Bespalova O, Klyueva V, Kurkina Y, Batlutskaya I. Low homology between 2019-nCoV Orf8 protein and its SARS-CoV counterparts questions their identical function. BIO WEB OF CONFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1051/bioconf/20213005008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV accessory protein Orf8b is involved in suppressing interferon-mediated immune response of the infected cell and this might lead to supposition that the corresponding protein 2019-nCoV Orf8 shares the same role. But the tertiary structures of these proteins are still unknown, and the primary structures demonstrate very low homology and different calculating parameters. This time they both are affected by stabilizing selection and in natural viral populations do not tend to be deleted. The question whether in this case very different proteins could share the same function rises from the present data.
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48
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Lam SD, Bordin N, Waman VP, Scholes HM, Ashford P, Sen N, van Dorp L, Rauer C, Dawson NL, Pang CSM, Abbasian M, Sillitoe I, Edwards SJL, Fraternali F, Lees JG, Santini JM, Orengo CA. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein predicted to form complexes with host receptor protein orthologues from a broad range of mammals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16471. [PMID: 33020502 PMCID: PMC7536205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71936-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has a zoonotic origin and was transmitted to humans via an undetermined intermediate host, leading to infections in humans and other mammals. To enter host cells, the viral spike protein (S-protein) binds to its receptor, ACE2, and is then processed by TMPRSS2. Whilst receptor binding contributes to the viral host range, S-protein:ACE2 complexes from other animals have not been investigated widely. To predict infection risks, we modelled S-protein:ACE2 complexes from 215 vertebrate species, calculated changes in the energy of the complex caused by mutations in each species, relative to human ACE2, and correlated these changes with COVID-19 infection data. We also analysed structural interactions to better understand the key residues contributing to affinity. We predict that mutations are more detrimental in ACE2 than TMPRSS2. Finally, we demonstrate phylogenetically that human SARS-CoV-2 strains have been isolated in animals. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect a broad range of mammals, but few fish, birds or reptiles. Susceptible animals could serve as reservoirs of the virus, necessitating careful ongoing animal management and surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Lam
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N Bordin
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - V P Waman
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - H M Scholes
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - P Ashford
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N Sen
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - L van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C Rauer
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - N L Dawson
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C S M Pang
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - M Abbasian
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - I Sillitoe
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - S J L Edwards
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - F Fraternali
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Guy's Campus, New Hunt's House, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - J G Lees
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 OBP, UK
| | - J M Santini
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C A Orengo
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Kosolapova AO, Antonets KS, Belousov MV, Nizhnikov AA. Biological Functions of Prokaryotic Amyloids in Interspecies Interactions: Facts and Assumptions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7240. [PMID: 33008049 PMCID: PMC7582709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloids are fibrillar protein aggregates with an ordered spatial structure called "cross-β". While some amyloids are associated with development of approximately 50 incurable diseases of humans and animals, the others perform various crucial physiological functions. The greatest diversity of amyloids functions is identified within prokaryotic species where they, being the components of the biofilm matrix, function as adhesins, regulate the activity of toxins and virulence factors, and compose extracellular protein layers. Amyloid state is widely used by different pathogenic bacterial species in their interactions with eukaryotic organisms. These amyloids, being functional for bacteria that produce them, are associated with various bacterial infections in humans and animals. Thus, the repertoire of the disease-associated amyloids includes not only dozens of pathological amyloids of mammalian origin but also numerous microbial amyloids. Although the ability of symbiotic microorganisms to produce amyloids has recently been demonstrated, functional roles of prokaryotic amyloids in host-symbiont interactions as well as in the interspecies interactions within the prokaryotic communities remain poorly studied. Here, we summarize the current findings in the field of prokaryotic amyloids, classify different interspecies interactions where these amyloids are involved, and hypothesize about their real occurrence in nature as well as their roles in pathogenesis and symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia O. Kosolapova
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia (K.S.A.); (M.V.B.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Kirill S. Antonets
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia (K.S.A.); (M.V.B.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail V. Belousov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia (K.S.A.); (M.V.B.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anton A. Nizhnikov
- Laboratory for Proteomics of Supra-Organismal Systems, All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM), 196608 St. Petersburg, Russia (K.S.A.); (M.V.B.)
- Faculty of Biology, St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU), 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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50
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van Dorp L, Acman M, Richard D, Shaw LP, Ford CE, Ormond L, Owen CJ, Pang J, Tan CCS, Boshier FAT, Ortiz AT, Balloux F. Emergence of genomic diversity and recurrent mutations in SARS-CoV-2. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 83:104351. [PMID: 32387564 PMCID: PMC7199730 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 510] [Impact Index Per Article: 127.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a SARS-like coronavirus of likely zoonotic origin first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province. The virus has since spread globally, resulting in the currently ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first whole genome sequence was published on January 5 2020, and thousands of genomes have been sequenced since this date. This resource allows unprecedented insights into the past demography of SARS-CoV-2 but also monitoring of how the virus is adapting to its novel human host, providing information to direct drug and vaccine design. We curated a dataset of 7666 public genome assemblies and analysed the emergence of genomic diversity over time. Our results are in line with previous estimates and point to all sequences sharing a common ancestor towards the end of 2019, supporting this as the period when SARS-CoV-2 jumped into its human host. Due to extensive transmission, the genetic diversity of the virus in several countries recapitulates a large fraction of its worldwide genetic diversity. We identify regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome that have remained largely invariant to date, and others that have already accumulated diversity. By focusing on mutations which have emerged independently multiple times (homoplasies), we identify 198 filtered recurrent mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Nearly 80% of the recurrent mutations produced non-synonymous changes at the protein level, suggesting possible ongoing adaptation of SARS-CoV-2. Three sites in Orf1ab in the regions encoding Nsp6, Nsp11, Nsp13, and one in the Spike protein are characterised by a particularly large number of recurrent mutations (>15 events) which may signpost convergent evolution and are of particular interest in the context of adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to the human host. We additionally provide an interactive user-friendly web-application to query the alignment of the 7666 SARS-CoV-2 genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy van Dorp
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Mislav Acman
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Damien Richard
- Cirad, UMR PVBMT, F-97410, St Pierre, Réunion, France; Université de la Réunion, UMR PVBMT, F-97490, St Denis, Réunion, France
| | - Liam P Shaw
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Charlotte E Ford
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Louise Ormond
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Juanita Pang
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Cedric C S Tan
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Arturo Torres Ortiz
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College, London W2 1NY, UK
| | - François Balloux
- UCL Genetics Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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