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A cophylogenetic perspective of RNA-virus evolution
Andrew P Jackson1, Michael A Charleston
1Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. andrew.jackson@zoo.ox.ac.uk
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|September 2, 2003
Summary
RNA viruses can stably associate with hosts, with some showing significant phylogenetic congruence. Persistent infection is key, but not the sole factor, in these virus-host evolutionary relationships.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Virology
- Genomics
Background:
- The codivergence of viruses and their hosts is debated, with evidence for both cospeciation and horizontal gene transfer.
- DNA viruses with persistent infections are hypothesized to exhibit greater phylogenetic congruence with hosts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phylogenetic congruence between four RNA viruses and their respective hosts.
- To determine if persistent infection is a prerequisite for virus-host codivergence.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic reconciliation analysis using TreeMap v2.0 to compare virus and host phylogenies.
- Cophylogeny mapping to identify evolutionary events and assess congruence.
- Testing the null hypothesis of random association against observed phylogenetic similarity.
Main Results:
- Hantavirus, Spumavirus, and avian sarcoma leukosis virus phylogenies showed significant similarity to their host trees.
- Lyssavirus and Arenavirus phylogenies did not exhibit significant congruence with their hosts.
- RNA viruses can maintain stable associations with hosts over evolutionary timescales.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates that RNA viruses can form stable associations with their hosts.
- Persistent infection is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for significant virus-host phylogenetic congruence.
- The findings contribute to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of virus-host interactions.