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Cowpox virus: What's in a Name?
Matthew R Mauldin1,2, Markus Antwerpen3, Ginny L Emerson4
1Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. MMauldin@cdc.gov.
Viruses
|May 10, 2017
Summary
The Cowpox virus species is polyphyletic, meaning it is not a single evolutionary group. Genetic data support reclassifying Cowpox viruses into at least five distinct species.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Taxonomy
Background:
- Traditional virus taxonomy relies on phenotypic characteristics.
- Sequence-based taxonomy is now essential, requiring species to be monophyletic.
- The current Cowpox virus species does not meet monophyly requirements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reexamine the taxonomic classification of Cowpox virus.
- To determine the monophyly of the Cowpox virus species using genomic data.
- To propose a revised taxonomy for Cowpox viruses.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing of nine Cowpox virus genomes.
- Bioinformatic analysis combining new and existing genome data (37 additional genomes).
- Phylogenetic analysis to assess species monophyly.
Main Results:
- Confirmed the polyphyletic nature of the Cowpox virus species.
- Identified statistical support for more than a dozen distinct species based on genetic data.
- Data support the recognition of five monophyletic clades as valid species.
Conclusions:
- The current Cowpox virus species requires reclassification.
- The findings have significant implications for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) classification.
- A revised taxonomic framework for poxviruses is necessary based on genomic evidence.
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