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Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Single Cell Micro-aspiration as an Alternative Strategy to Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting for Giant Virus Mixture Separation
Published on: October 27, 2019
A single bat species in Cameroon harbors multiple highly divergent papillomaviruses in stool identified by
Claude Kwe Yinda1,2, Annabel Rector2, Mark Zeller1
1KULeuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
A number of PVs have been described in bats but to the best of our knowledge not from feces. Using a previously described NetoVIR protocol, Eidolon helvum pooled fecal samples (Eh) were treated and sequenced by Illumina next generation sequencing technology. Two complete genomes of novel PVs (EhPV2 and EhPV3) and 3 partial sequences (BATPV61, BATPV890a and BATPV890b) were obtained and analysis showed that the EhPV2 and EhPV3 major capsid proteins cluster with and share 60-64% nucleotide identity with that of Rousettus aegyptiacus PV1, thus representing new species of PVs within the genus Psipapillomavirus. The other PVs clustered in different branches of our phylogenetic tree and may potentially represent novel species and/or genera. This points to the vast diversity of PVs in bats and in Eidolon helvum bats in particular, therefore adding support to the current concept that PV evolution is more complex than merely strict PV-host co-evolution.
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