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Genomic Mining Reveals Deep Evolutionary Relationships between Bornaviruses and Bats.
1Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore. jiecui@yahoo.com.
Viruses
|November 17, 2015
Summary
Bats carry many viruses, including bornaviruses. This study reveals ancient bornavirus integration in bat genomes, showing a 70-million-year co-evolutionary history, particularly in vesper bats.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Bats are known reservoirs for various viruses, including Mononegavirales order viruses like lyssaviruses and henipaviruses.
- While bornaviruses are recognized, their evolutionary relationship with bats remains underexplored.
- Previous research indicated ancient bornaviral presence in mammalian genomes (e.g., primates), suggesting deep evolutionary roots.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary history and genomic integration of bornaviruses in bats.
- To establish the phylogenetic relationship between endogenous bornaviral elements and bat species.
- To understand the timeline and patterns of bornavirus-bat interactions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 10 available bat genomes.
- Comparative genomics to identify and characterize endogenous bornaviral elements.
- Molecular dating techniques to estimate divergence times.
Main Results:
- Identification of endogenous bornavirus-like L elements (EBLLs) in multiple bat genomes, predominantly in vesper bats.
- Reconstruction of a clear evolutionary relationship between endogenous bornaviral elements and bats.
- Evidence of frequent endogenization events in the bat lineage.
Conclusions:
- Bornaviruses have a long-standing evolutionary association with bats, spanning at least 70 million years.
- Vesper bats show a significant history of interaction and genomic integration with bornaviruses.
- Further research into contemporary bornavirus circulation in bat populations is crucial for understanding viral dynamics.
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