Virus Satellites Drive Viral Evolution and Ecology
Belén Frígols1, Nuria Quiles-Puchalt2, Ignacio Mir-Sanchis1
1Universidad Cardenal Herrera CEU, Moncada, Spain.
Plos Genetics
|October 27, 2015
Summary
Virus satellites, like staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs), rapidly coevolve with their helper viruses. This viral arms race drives changes in both satellite and helper virus genomes, impacting their evolution and ecology.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Virus satellites are subcellular entities that parasitize helper viruses for transmission.
- The evolutionary and ecological impact of satellites on their helper viruses is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the coevolutionary dynamics between virus satellites and their helper viruses using staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) as a model.
- To determine how helper viruses evolve resistance to satellites and how satellites overcome this resistance.
Main Methods:
- Experimental evolution of helper viruses and SaPIs.
- Genomic analysis of experimentally evolved and naturally occurring strains.
- Phylogenetic studies of bacteriophages and their satellite viruses.
Main Results:
- Helper viruses rapidly evolve resistance to SaPIs, inhibiting their proliferation.
- SaPIs evolve to overcome helper virus resistance.
- SaPIs drive the coexistence of multiple helper virus gene alleles and can select for the absence of satellite-suppressing genes.
- Similar coevolutionary patterns were observed in Enterococcus faecalis phages and their satellites.
Conclusions:
- Helper and satellite viruses engage in rapid coevolution.
- This coevolution significantly influences the evolution and ecology of viruses and their prokaryotic hosts.
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