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Updated: May 28, 2026
18:10
Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
Published on: June 16, 2011
Experimental evolution of RNA versus DNA viruses
Pilar Domingo-Calap1, Rafael Sanjuán
1Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Spain Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Genómica y Salud, Centro Superior de Investigación en Salud Pública (CSISP), Valencia, Spain
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|October 5, 2011
Summary
RNA and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses evolve differently. While RNA viruses show faster adaptation under strong selection, ssDNA viruses can match their evolutionary rates over time, despite lower mutation rates.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- RNA viruses are traditionally considered the fastest evolving due to high mutation rates.
- Recent studies suggest single-stranded (ss) DNA viruses also exhibit rapid evolution despite higher replication fidelity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the adaptation and molecular evolution rates of ssRNA and ssDNA viruses.
- To investigate the role of mutation rates in viral evolution under controlled laboratory conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized bacteriophages (ΦX174, G4, f1, Qβ, SP, MS2) as model systems.
- Conducted experiments under highly controlled laboratory conditions.
- Compared rates of adaptation and molecular evolution between ssRNA and ssDNA virus groups.
Main Results:
- ssRNA phages demonstrated faster evolution than ssDNA phages under strong selective pressure.
- The evolutionary performance of ssRNA and ssDNA phages became similar over longer terms or with moderate adaptation.
- A 100-fold difference in mutation rates resulted in less than a fivefold difference in adaptation and substitution rates.
Conclusions:
- Extremely high mutation rates in ssRNA viruses are optimal for strong selective scenarios.
- ssDNA viruses can achieve evolutionary rates comparable to ssRNA viruses, challenging traditional views.
- Mutation rate differences do not linearly correlate with observed rates of adaptation and molecular evolution.
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