超盐湖的病毒社区组成
Callum Le Lay1, Joshua N Hamm, Timothy J Williams2
1Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Virus evolution
|September 11, 2023
概括
研究人员在Archaea中探索过盐湖的RNA病毒. 他们发现了12个不同的RNA病毒样序列,表明潜在的新病毒,尽管最终的证据仍然难以捉摸.
科学领域:
- 病毒学和微生物学
- 基因组学和生物信息学
- 极端爱好研究 极端爱好研究
背景情况:
- 考古生物是具有已知的DNA病毒圈的古老微生物,但它们的RNA病毒圈仍然在很大程度上未被发现.
- 超的环境中丰富的古生物,并作为新型病毒生命的潜在息地.
- 识别高度分歧的病毒需要超越标准检测方法的先进计算方法.
研究的目的:
- 为了研究高盐湖的转录基因组,揭示了古生物的难以捉摸的RNA病毒圈.
- 用各种生物信息工具和人工智能识别和描述高度分离的RNA病毒样序列.
- 探索已识别的病毒样序列与古生物或细菌宿主之间的潜在关联.
主要方法:
- 从澳大利亚和南极洲的高盐湖中提取的水过器样本和培养的古生物中提取的RNA的测序.
- 利用隐藏的马尔科夫模型 (HMMs),位置特定的评分矩阵 (PSSMs) 和基于人工智能的方法来识别不同的病毒序列,包括RNA依赖RNA聚合酶 (RdRp).
- 分析了宿主关联的二核酸表征,并使用古老的CRISPR间隔器作为病毒检测的BLAST数据库.
主要成果:
- 在多个病毒族群中识别了12个高度分离的RNA病毒样候选序列,其中一些与RdRp相似.
- 一个人工智能方法检测到七个额外的假定RdRp序列的不确定的家族遗传起源.
- 来自南极洲深湖的一个序列显示出最强的RNA病毒信号,属于Pisuviricota类. 还确定了来自已建立家族的DNA病毒.
结论:
- 虽然没有发现古代RNA病毒的确证据,但这项研究为进一步调查提供了基础数据.
- 鉴定到的类似病毒的序列表明,在高盐环境中可能存在新型,高度分离的RNA病毒.
- 未来的研究应该集中在培养和验证这些候选物,以确认它们与考古宿主的关联.
相关概念视频
01:29Viruses of Archaea
30
Archaeal viruses play a crucial role in the ecosystems of extremophilic archaea, particularly those belonging to the phyla Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. By shaping host evolution and facilitating gene transfer, these viruses influence microbial communities and contribute to genetic diversity in extreme environments. The archaea they infect thrive in acidic hot springs and hydrothermal vents characterized by high temperatures and low pH. Archaeal viruses exhibit remarkable structural...
30
01:15Diversity of Protists I
35
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
35
01:27Diversity of Protists IV
37
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
37
01:29Diversity of Archaea IV
51
Hyperthermophilic archaea are a group of extremophiles thriving at temperatures above 80°C, often in hydrothermal vents and volcanic soils where conditions surpass the boiling point of water. At such temperatures, proteins, membranes, and DNA in most organisms degrade, but hyperthermophiles have evolved remarkable adaptations to maintain stability and function.Unique Cellular FeaturesHyperthermophilic membranes are composed of a monolayer of biphytanyl tetraether lipids, which resist...
51
00:57Viral Recombination
23.5K
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
23.5K
01:27Diversity of Archaea III
32
Crenarchaeota, a prominent phylum of Archaea, is remarkable for its ability to thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and acidity. These microorganisms inhabit sulfuric hot springs, volcanic systems, and submarine hydrothermal vents, where temperatures often exceed 100°C. The unique adaptations of Crenarchaeota not only allow survival under such extreme conditions but also provide insights into the mechanisms of life in primordial Earth-like...
32