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Positive natural selection in the evolution of human metapneumovirus attachment glycoprotein

Abinash Padhi1, Bindhu Verghese

  • 1Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, 600 S. College Ave. Tulsa, OK 74104, USA. abinash-padhi@utulsa.edu

Virus Research
|October 13, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) shows rapid evolution, with specific G glycoprotein sites undergoing adaptive evolution. Identifying these sites aids in understanding immune responses and developing targeted interventions for hMPV infections.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a Paramyxoviridae family member, causes respiratory infections globally.
  • The hMPV G glycoprotein exhibits significant sequence polymorphism, defining four distinct sub-lineages.
  • Previous studies indicated high variability in the hMPV G protein, suggesting potential adaptive evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate adaptive evolution in the hMPV G glycoprotein using computational methods.
  • To identify specific amino acid sites under positive selection in different hMPV lineages.
  • To compare evolutionary rates of hMPV with other respiratory viruses like human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV).

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a maximum likelihood-based codon substitution model to analyze sequence evolution.
  • Compared rates of nonsynonymous (dN) and synonymous (dS) substitutions across hMPV lineages.
  • Analyzed extracellular domain sequences of the G glycoprotein.

Main Results:

  • Identified 8 amino acid sites in lineage 1a and 3 sites each in lineages 1b, 2a, and 2b with dN/dS > 1 and posterior probability > 0.95, indicating positive selection.
  • Observed significantly higher nucleotide substitution rates per site per year for hMPV lineages compared to hRSV.
  • Confirmed evidence of Darwinian selection driving amino acid adaptations in the hMPV G glycoprotein.

Conclusions:

  • Specific amino acid sites in the hMPV G glycoprotein are under positive adaptive evolution.
  • The rapid evolutionary dynamics of hMPV, evidenced by high substitution rates, warrant further investigation.
  • Identifying positively selected sites can facilitate epitope mapping for improved diagnostics and vaccine development targeting hMPV.

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