Exploratory Temporal and Evolutionary Insights into the Filoviridae Family Through Multiprotein Phylogeny

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Phylogenetics
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Filoviruses are highly lethal human pathogens with significant public health implications.
• The evolutionary history and temporal dynamics of Filoviridae remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolutionary and temporal dynamics of the Filoviridae family using a multiprotein molecular phylogenetic approach.
• To explore the relationship between filoviral evolution, host ecology, and epidemiological outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of amino acid sequences from the filoviral proteome and seven individual proteins (NP, VP35, VP40, GP, VP30, VP24, L).
• Phylogenetic reconstruction using MEGA 12 with RelTime inference and uniform calibrations.
• Integration of epidemiological data, including cases, fatalities, and case fatality rates.

Main Results:

• Phylogenetic reconstructions yielded robust topologies for most proteins, with GP, VP30, and VP40 showing more variable patterns due to selective pressures.
• Temporal inferences identified three distinct filoviral lineages: ancestral (>1 MYA, associated with fish and reptiles), intermediate (Before Common Era-1 MYA, associated with bats), and contemporary (Common Era, ebolaviruses and marburgviruses).
• VP30 and VP40 demonstrated a correlation with epidemiological outcomes in *Orthoebolavirus zairense*, suggesting a role in dispersal and virulence.

Conclusions:

• Filoviral evolution is intricately linked to viral biology, host ecology, and host evolutionary history.
• The findings provide a refined understanding of filoviral diversification and potential drivers of pathogenicity.
• *Orthoebolavirus restonense* serves as a valuable model for comparative studies of pathogenic filoviruses.