Coevolutionary transitions emerging from flexible molecular recognition and eco-evolutionary feedback.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Theoretical Biology

Background:

• Highly mutable viruses constantly evolve to evade host immune responses.
• Immune pressure acts as a key selective force shaping viral adaptation and dynamics.
• Understanding viral-immune coevolution is crucial for predicting viral fate and developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a framework for identifying key factors influencing viral-immune coevolution.
• To link molecular recognition mechanisms with eco-evolutionary dynamics.
• To elucidate the determinants of viral persistence, clearance, and rebound.

Main Methods:

• Development of a theoretical framework integrating molecular recognition and eco-evolutionary dynamics.
• Analysis of how antigen conservation and diversity impact antibody response timing and breadth.
• Modeling the interplay between immune compartmentalization and viral escape/clearance dynamics.

Main Results:

• Antigen conservation and initial diversity jointly determine the efficacy of antibody responses (narrow vs. broad).
• Antibody responses dictate transitions between viral persistence, clearance, and rebound.
• Clearance of complex antigens requires antibody evolution beyond the directly selected antigenic space.
• Viral rebound is linked to binding-mediated feedback between ecological factors and rapid viral evolution.
• Immune compartmentalization can impede viral escape but may also delay viral clearance.

Conclusions:

• Flexible molecular binding enables viral phenotypes to exploit neutral variations, facilitating adaptation.
• The interplay between molecular recognition and ecological dynamics governs viral-immune coevolutionary trajectories.
• This framework provides new insights into the mechanisms driving viral adaptability and host-pathogen interactions.