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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
09:57
Establishment of Viral Infection and Analysis of Host-Virus Interaction in Drosophila Melanogaster
Published on: March 14, 2019
Experimental evolution of viruses: Microviridae as a model system.
Holly A Wichman1, Celeste J Brown
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA. hwichman@uidaho.edu
Summary
The bacteriophage phiX174, a model for evolutionary studies, showed extensive parallel evolution in 58 lineages. Over half of observed genetic substitutions occurred at repeated mutation sites, suggesting relevance to natural adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Microbial genetics
- Virology
Background:
- The bacteriophage phiX174 is a well-established model system for evolutionary studies due to its small genome and ease of cultivation.
- It has been widely utilized to investigate statistical aspects of adaptive evolution dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compile and analyze molecular changes from experimental evolution of phiX174 across diverse conditions.
- To assess the extent of parallel evolution and its implications for understanding adaptation mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing of 58 lineages from 10 independent experiments.
- Analysis of 667 observed genetic substitutions.
- Comparison of experimentally evolved sites with naturally occurring variation in wild phage populations.
Main Results:
- A total of 667 substitutions were identified across the sequenced genomes.
- Parallel evolution was prevalent, with over 50% of substitutions occurring at sites with three or more independent mutational events.
- Experimentally observed adaptive sites showed overlap with variation found in wild phage, indicating ecological relevance.
Conclusions:
- Experimental evolution of phiX174 provides insights into adaptive mechanisms relevant to natural populations.
- The high frequency of parallel substitutions highlights convergent evolutionary processes.
- Structural and genetic data for phiX174 facilitate the elucidation of evolutionary mechanisms.
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