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Published on: April 2, 2012
High evolutionary rate of human astrovirus
Igor V Babkin1, Artem Y Tikunov, Elena V Zhirakovskaia
1Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation. i_babkin@mail.ru
Summary
Human astrovirus causes gastroenteritis in vulnerable populations. Researchers estimated its evolutionary rate at 3.7 × 10(-3) substitutions per site per year, typical for rapidly evolving RNA viruses.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Evolution
Background:
- Human astrovirus is a significant cause of acute gastroenteritis, particularly affecting young children and the elderly.
- Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of human astrovirus is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the evolutionary rate of human astrovirus.
- To identify potential recombination breakpoints within the viral genome.
Main Methods:
- Complete genome sequencing of four human astrovirus strains.
- Bioinformatic analysis of viral sequences from GenBank to detect recombination.
Main Results:
- Numerous potential recombination breakpoints were identified in human astrovirus genomes.
- The evolutionary rate was estimated at approximately 3.7 × 10(-3) nucleotide substitutions per site per year, and 2.8 × 10(-3) for synonymous changes, using non-recombined genome fragments.
Conclusions:
- Human astrovirus exhibits a high evolutionary rate, characteristic of RNA viruses.
- Recombination may play a role in the evolution of human astrovirus, necessitating careful analysis of evolutionary rates.
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