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Updated: May 13, 2026
15:31
Tissue Collection of Bats for -Omics Analyses and Primary Cell Culture
Published on: October 23, 2019
Multiple evolutionary origins of bat papillomaviruses
Raquel García-Pérez1, Marc Gottschling, Gudrun Wibbelt
1Infections and Cancer, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO)|Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain.
Veterinary Microbiology
|March 14, 2013
Summary
Researchers discovered novel papillomaviruses (PVs) in bats, EhelPV1 and PgigPV1. Phylogenetic analysis revealed their distinct evolutionary paths, supporting early PV radiation before mammalian host divergence.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Mammalian Host-Pathogen Interactions
Background:
- Papillomaviruses (PVs) are linked to various neoplasias in humans and animals.
- Understanding PV diversity is crucial for tracing pathogen evolution and disease links.
- Bats are known reservoirs for diverse viruses, including PVs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize novel papillomaviruses in bats.
- To investigate the evolutionary relationships of newly discovered PVs with known types.
- To analyze sequence patterns in the regulatory regions of Lambda+Mu-PVs.
Main Methods:
- Complete genome sequencing of a novel PV (EhelPV1) from Eidolon helvum.
- Partial gene sequencing (E1, L1) of a novel PV (PgigPV1) from Pteropus giganteus.
- Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses using 132 PVs.
Main Results:
- Discovery and sequencing of EhelPV1 and partial PgigPV1.
- Phylogenetic placement of EhelPV1 within the Lambda+Mu-PV crown group, closely related to MschPV2.
- PgigPV1 sequences grouped with EhelPV1, distinct from other known bat PVs.
- Analysis revealed shared regulatory region patterns in Lambda+Mu-PVs, but no clear link to host range or lifestyle.
Conclusions:
- The novel bat PVs, EhelPV1 and PgigPV1, represent distinct lineages.
- Phylogenetic data support the hypothesis of PVs radiating before mammalian host divergence.
- Regulatory region sequence patterns do not strictly correlate with host tropism or viral lifestyle.
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