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Detection of Low Copy Number Integrated Viral DNA Formed by In Vitro Hepatitis B Infection
Published on: November 7, 2018
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Excavating new facts from ancient Hepatitis B virus sequences
1Molecular Virology Laboratory, Entomology & Biothreat Management Division, Defence Research Laboratory, Defence R&D Organization (DRDO), PO Bag 02, Tezpur HPO, Assam, 784001, India.
Virology
|August 29, 2020
Summary
Ancient Hepatitis B virus (aHBV) sequences reveal genetic diversity and evolution. Recombination events suggest HBV genotypes were influenced by ancient human migrations and population admixture during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
Area of Science:
- Paleovirology
- Ancient DNA analysis
- Viral evolution
Background:
- Recent discovery of 15 ancient Hepatitis B virus (aHBV) sequences, with 7 dating to the Neolithic (NA) and Bronze Ages (BA).
- Need to understand the role of these ancient genotypes in the evolution of contemporary Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genetic diversity.
Observation:
- Collective re-analysis of all available aHBV sequences alongside extant HBV diversity.
- Identification of several intergenotype recombination events within the ancient HBV sequences.
Findings:
- Documented intergenotype recombination events correlate with ancient population admixture and human migration patterns.
- Evidence suggests a replacement of HBV genotypes associated with early Neolithic European farming cultures by steppe populations during the Bronze Age migration.
- Detailed recombination analyses indicate the evolutionary pathways of numerous extant HBV genotypes and propose their geographical origins.
Implications:
- Provides insights into the deep evolutionary history of HBV and its co-evolution with human populations.
- Highlights the impact of ancient human migrations on viral genetic diversity and distribution.
- Suggests potential origins for currently circulating HBV genotypes, aiding in future epidemiological studies.
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