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Aquatic Flaviviruses.
Megan J Lensink1, Yiqiao Li2, Sebastian Lequime1
1Cluster of Microbial Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Journal of Virology
|August 17, 2022
Summary
Aquatic flaviviruses, found in marine and freshwater environments, infect diverse species like fish and crustaceans. Their discovery suggests flaviviruses may have originated in aquatic ecosystems, impacting aquaculture.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Flaviviruses, including Zika and dengue, are known RNA viruses primarily linked to terrestrial arthropod vectors.
- Research has historically concentrated on terrestrial flaviviruses, overlooking aquatic environments.
- Recent discoveries reveal flaviviruses in marine and freshwater ecosystems, infecting a wide array of aquatic organisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and evolutionary significance of flaviviruses in aquatic environments.
- To explore the potential impact of aquatic flaviviruses on aquaculture.
- To understand the origins and evolutionary history of flaviviruses, considering aquatic environments.
Main Methods:
- Detection and identification of novel flaviviruses in aquatic hosts.
- Analysis of viral genetic material to infer evolutionary relationships.
- Investigation of host-virus interactions in both invertebrate and vertebrate species.
Main Results:
- Identification of diverse flaviviruses in various aquatic hosts, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and echinoderms.
- Discovery of Wenzhou shark flavivirus in both shark and crab hosts, suggesting potential dual-host capabilities.
- Evidence of potential endogenous viral elements and novel aquatic flaviviruses, offering insights into virus origins.
Conclusions:
- Aquatic environments harbor a significant diversity of flaviviruses, expanding our understanding beyond terrestrial hosts.
- The Wenzhou shark flavivirus highlights a potential for broader host ranges and deeper evolutionary roots for flaviviruses.
- Flavivirus origins may lie in aquatic environments, challenging the long-held terrestrial-centric view of their evolution.
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