[Tumor viruses--duds of the evolution? A fascinating hypothesis on the biogenesis of life].
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To evaluate the genetic diversity and understand the evolution of Yam mosaic virus (YMV), a highly destructive pathogen of yam (Dioscorea sp.), sequencing was carried out of the C-terminal part of the replicase (NIb), the coat protein (CP) and the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of 27 YMV isolates collected from the three main cultivated species (Dioscorea alata, the complex Dioscorea cayenensis-Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea trifida). YMV showed the most variable CP relative to eight other potyviruses. This high variability was structured into nine distant molecular groups, as revealed by phylogenetic analyses and validated by assessment of the molecular evolutionary noise. No correlation was observed between the CP and 3'-UTR diversities and phylogenies. The most diversified and divergent groups included isolates from Africa. The remaining groups clustered in a single clade and a geographical distinction between isolates from the Caribbean, South America and Africa was observed. The role of the host in the selection of particular isolates was illustrated by the case of a divergent cultivar from Burkina Faso. Phylogenetic topological incongruence and complementary statistical tests highlighted the fact that recombination events, with single and multiple crossover sites, largely contributed to the evolution of YMV. We hypothesise an African origin of YMV from the yam complex D. cayenensis-D. rotundata, followed by independent transfers to D. alata and D. trifida during virus evolution.
The intra-host evolution of 73 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 quasispecies was analysed by split decomposition analysis. Non-synonymous and synonymous nucleotide substitutions were counted along the shortest path connecting all sequences and compared with the numbers expected under the assumption of a random model of mutation. For the majority of substitutions, drift and negative selection seemed to prevail.
Influenza viruses are remarkably adept at surviving in the human population over a long timescale. The human influenza A virus continues to thrive even among populations with widespread access to vaccines, and continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The virus mutates from year to year, making the existing vaccines ineffective on a regular basis, and requiring that new strains be chosen for a new vaccine. Less-frequent major changes, known as antigenic shift, create new strains against which the human population has little protective immunity, thereby causing worldwide pandemics. The most recent pandemics include the 1918 'Spanish' flu, one of the most deadly outbreaks in recorded history, which killed 30-50 million people worldwide, the 1957 'Asian' flu, and the 1968 'Hong Kong' flu. Motivated by the need for a better understanding of influenza evolution, we have developed flexible protocols that make it possible to apply large-scale sequencing techniques to the highly variable influenza genome. Here we report the results of sequencing 209 complete genomes of the human influenza A virus, encompassing a total of 2,821,103 nucleotides. In addition to increasing markedly the number of publicly available, complete influenza virus genomes, we have discovered several anomalies in these first 209 genomes that demonstrate the dynamic nature of influenza transmission and evolution. This new, large-scale sequencing effort promises to provide a more comprehensive picture of the evolution of influenza viruses and of their pattern of transmission through human and animal populations. All data from this project are being deposited, without delay, in public archives.
The balance of virus production and clearance for untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C changes into a decline of viraemia when initiating effective anti-viral treatment. During the first phase of interferon-alpha (IFN-a) therapy, the kinetics of the viral load is characterised by a rapid dose-dependent decline starting after a delay of about eight to nine hours. This early response can be observed for almost all patients treated with IFN-a. After about 24 to 48 hours, the viral decline slows down leading to a second phase with a relatively stable exponential decay. Some non-responding patients show a nearly constant viraemia and some even a rebound throughout this second phase. Kinetic models allow the estimation of rates of viral production and clearance and reveal high turnover rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and an in vivo half-life of hepatitis C virions of a few hours, only. Due to the continuous and high replication rate in vivo, the low fidelity of the ribonucleic acid (RNA)-dependent RNA polymerase, and the immune surveillance of the host, HCV exists in an individual patient as a heterogeneous population of related viruses (quasispecies). A high degree of quasispecies variability correlates with a lower response to IFN-a therapy. Changes of the quasispecies population are more pronounced after initiation of treatment with IFN-a or interleukin-12 than during the natural course of disease. Ribavirin, however, has not been found to affect the HCV quasispecies population. Identification of a specific region within an envelope-encoding gene as the most variable region of HCV and as a critical neutralisation domain suggests that viral escape mechanisms are a possible cause for chronification and poses a major challenge for the development of a broadly reactive vaccine against HCV.
There is substantial evidence for ongoing replication and evolution of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), even in individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy. Viral evolution in the presence of antiviral therapy needs to be considered when developing new therapeutic strategies. Phylogenetic analyses of HIV-1 sequences can be used for this purpose but may give rise to misleading results if rates of intrapatient evolution differ significantly. To improve analyses of HIV-1 evolution relevant to studies of pathogenesis and treatment, we developed a Bayesian hierarchical model that incorporates all available sequence data while simultaneously allowing the phylogenetic parameters of each patient to vary. We used this method to examine evolutionary changes in HIV-1 coreceptor usage in response to treatment. We examined patients whose viral populations exhibited a shift in coreceptor utilization in response to therapy. CXCR4 (X4) strains emerged in each patient but were suppressed following initiation of new antiretroviral regimens, so that CCR5-utilizing (R5) strains predominated. By phylogenetically reconstructing the evolutionary relationship of HIV-1 obtained longitudinally from each patient, it was possible to examine the origin of the reemergent R5 virus. Using our Bayesian hierarchical approach, we found that the reemergent R5 virus detectable after therapy was more closely related to the predecessor R5 virus than to the X4 strains. The Bayesian hierarchical approach, unlike more traditional methods, makes it possible to evaluate competing hypotheses across patients. This model is not limited to analyses of HIV-1 but can be used to elucidate evolutionary processes for other organisms as well.
H9N2 influenza viruses have become established and maintain long-term endemicity in terrestrial poultry in Asian countries. Occasionally these viruses transmit to other mammals, including humans. Increasing epidemiological and laboratory findings suggest that quail may be an important host, as they are susceptible to different subtypes of influenza viruses. To better understand the role of quail in influenza virus ecology and evolution, H9N2 viruses isolated from quail during 2000 to 2005 were antigenically and genetically characterized. Our results showed that H9N2 viruses are prevalent year-round in southern China and replicate mainly asymptomatically in the respiratory tract of quail. Genetic analysis revealed that both the G1-like and Ck/Bei-like H9N2 lineages were cocirculating in quail since 2000. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that most of the isolates tested were double- or multiple-reassortant variants, with four G1-like and 16 Ck/Bei-like genotypes recognized. A novel genotype of G1-like virus became predominant in quail since 2003, while multiple Ck/Bei-like genotypes were introduced into quail, wherein they incorporated G1-like gene segments, but none of them became established in this host. Those Ck/Bei-like reassortants generated in quail have then been introduced into other poultry. These complex interactions form a two-way transmission system between quail and other types of poultry. The present study provides evidence that H9N2 and H5N1 subtype viruses have also exchanged gene segments to generate currently circulating reassortants of both subtypes that have pandemic potential. Continuing influenza virus surveillance in poultry is critical to understanding the genesis and emergence of potentially pandemic strains in this region.
Like many other plant RNA viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) sequence diversity within and among infected plants is low given the large number of virions produced. This may be explained by considering aspects of plant virus life history. Intracellular replication of RNA viruses is predominately linear, not exponential, which means that the rate at which mutations accumulate also is linear. Bottlenecks during systemic movement further limit diversity. Analysis of mixed infections with two WSMV isolates suggests that about four viral genomes participate in systemic invasion of each tiller. Low effective population size increases the role of stochastic processes on dynamics of plant virus population genetics and evolution. Despite low pair-wise diversity among isolates, the number of polymorphic sites within the U.S. population is about the same as between divergent strains or a sister species. Characteristics of polymorphism in the WSMV coat protein gene suggest that most variation appears neutral.
The aim of our study was to assess hepatitis C virus (HCV) evolution and long term liver histology outcome in anti-HCV(+)/RNA(+) renal-transplant (RT) patients. Fifty-five anti-HCV(+)/RNA(+) RT patients underwent every 3-4 years after transplantation liver biopsies (LB) (2 LBs, N = 55; 3 LBs, N = 44; 4 LBs, N = 10). The hypervariable region (HVR)-1 of the HCV genome from all patients was characterized over time. Overall, the rate of liver fibrosis progression was 0.07 +/- 0.03 Metavir units/year. We identified three groups of patients: those in whom liver fibrosis remained stable (group I, N = 21), those with progressing liver fibrosis (group II, N = 21), and those with a regression in liver fibrosis (group III, N = 13). Initial fibrosis stage and high diversification of the HVR-1 of HCV genome between the transplantation and the first liver biopsy were independent factors associated with liver fibrosis regression. In conclusion, in this study, after renal transplantation, HCV infection is not harmful upon liver histology in more than fifty percent of the patients. The diversification of the HVR-1 of the HCV genome might be used to predict liver fibrosis outcome.
Twenty-two strains of dengue 2 virus, isolated in China, Latin America, New Guinea and Thailand were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The UPGMA analysis was carried out on each gene region of dengue virus and demonstrated that outcome from most of the gene regions showed similar results except those from NS4B and YUTR with very short nucleotide length. Among ten regions examined, the results from E gene documented the geographical differences of the virus strains most clearly and all the American strains (Mara 4, IQT1797 and S1) were distantly related to the Asian isolates. As for the 16 Thai strains isolated in 1993, they were clustered into three groups and a strain from a DSS patient formed a distinct branch compared to the other two groups. This finding from phylogenetic analysis is consistent with earlier conclusion and support the severity related subtyping of dengue 2 virus based on amino acid changes.
We examined the population dynamics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pro variants during the evolution of resistance to the protease inhibitor ritonavir (RTV) in vivo. pro variants were followed in subjects who had added RTV to their previously failed reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy using a heteroduplex tracking assay designed to detect common resistance-associated mutations. In most cases the initial variant appeared rapidly within 2 to 3 months followed by one or more subsequent population turnovers. Some of the subsequent transitions between variants were rapid, and some were prolonged with the coexistence of multiple variants. In several cases variants without resistance mutations persisted despite the emergence of new variants with an increasing number of resistance-associated mutations. Based on the rate of turnover of pro variants in the RTV-treated subjects we estimated that the mean fitness of newly emerging variants was increased 1.2-fold (range, 1.02 to 1.8) relative to their predecessors. A subset of pro genes was introduced into infectious molecular clones. The corresponding viruses displayed impaired replication capacity and reduced susceptibility to RTV. A subset of these clones also showed increased susceptibility to two nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and the protease inhibitor saquinavir. Finally, a significant correlation between the reduced replication capacity and reduced processing at the gag NC-p1 processing site was noted. Our results reveal a complexity of patterns in the evolution of resistance to a protease inhibitor. In addition, these results suggest that selection for resistance to one protease inhibitor can have pleiotropic effects that can affect fitness and susceptibility to other drugs.
The complete nucleotide sequence of the EcoRI DNA fragment M (7099 bp; 0.310-0.345 map units) of the genome of insect iridescent virus type 6--Chilo iridescent virus (CIV)--was determined. A 606 codon open reading frame located in this region encoded a protein (p69) related to a distinct family of putative DNA and/or RNA helicases belonging to the "DEAD/H" superfamily. Unique sequence signatures were derived that allowed selective retrieval of the putative helicases of the new family from amino acid sequence databases. The family includes yeast, Drosophila, mammalian, and bacterial proteins involved in transcription regulation and in repair of damaged DNA. It is hypothesized that p69 of CIV may be a DNA or RNA helicase possibly involved in viral transcription. A distant relationship was observed to exist between this family of helicases and another group of proteins that consists of putative helicases of poxviruses, African swine fever virus, and yeast mitochondrial plasmids. It is shown that p69 of CIV is much more closely related to cellular helicases than any of the other known viral helicases. Phylogenetic analysis suggested an independent origin for the p69 gene and the genes encoding other viral helicases.
Antigen-primed cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) may express leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors (LILRs) and natural killer receptors (NKRs). Published work suggests that expression of some of these receptors confers survival advantage, leading to the idea that cells expressing such receptors may accumulate as an antigen-specific response evolves. Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing expression of CD85j (also known as LILRB1 or ILT2), KIRs, CD94, and CD161 by Epstein- Barr virus (EBV)-specific CTL during the primary and persistent phases of EBV infection in humans. During primary infection, few EBV-specific CTL expressed these receptors and this proportion was equally low in early persistent infection. Thus, expression of these molecules does not influence capacity to survive downregulation of the primary response. However, in donors persistently infected with EBV for many years, a significantly higher proportion of EBV-specific CTL expressed CD85j and NKRs, suggesting that cells expressing these receptors can accumulate with time. Using FACS analysis, we confirmed, at a single cell level, that expression of CD85j, defined by staining with the antibody VMP55, was associated with reduced capacity of EBV-specific CD8+ T cells to respond to antigen. Thus, in the later stages of persistent infection, protective immunity to EBV may be reduced due to the preferential accumulation of hyporesponsive EBV-specific CD8+ T cells.
We designed a prospective study to assess the time course and evolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 152 patients who underwent a liver transplantation (LT) in our institution. Forty-four recipients (29%) were infected by HCV after transplantation: 40 who developed recurrent infection after LT and four who acquired infection during or after LT. No differences were found in survival actuarial rates at 1, 2, and 4 years after transplantation for patients infected by HCV vs. noninfected ones. Graft hepatitis occurred in 66% of HCV-infected recipients: 18 developed chronic active hepatitis (10 of them with intense fibrosis) and 2 developed cirrhosis during the follow-up. Infection by the HCV-1b genotype was found in 79% of the infected recipients and in 100% of those in whom histologic evolution was worst. Fourteen grafts were lost in 44 HCV-infected recipients, in comparison with 12 in 108 HCV-negative patients (P = .007), mostly because of chronic rejection. HCV infection did not affect life expectancy in the midterm follow-up for LT patients. However, it was often associated with the occurrence of early and severe graft hepatitis and with a higher incidence of graft loss due to chronic rejection.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 subtype are widespread and have become endemic in poultry in southern and southeastern Asia. An unprecedented epizootic was caused by these viruses in 8 countries in the winter of 2003 to 2004. This fact along with more frequent human cases of the infection with unusually high mortality rates in Vietnam and Thailand raises concern that these H5N1 events may lead to a new influenza A virus pandemic. This review summarizes the results of studies dealing with the ecology and evolution of avian influenza H5N1 viruses in southern and southeastern Asia since 1997. The pathogenesis of the infection in human beings and laboratory animals and possible determinants of the high pathogenicity of H5N1 viruses in mammals are considered. A scheme for designing modified H5N1 vaccines using the latest advances in reverse genetics of influenza viruses is given.
Dengue virus is a circumtropical, mosquito-borne flavivirus that infects 50-100 million people each year and is expanding in both range and prevalence. Of the four co-circulating viral serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) that cause mild to severe febrile disease, DENV-2 has been implicated in the onset of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) in the Americas in the early 1980s. To identify patterns of genetic change since DENV-2's reintroduction into the region, molecular evolution in DENV-2 from Puerto Rico (PR) and surrounding countries was examined over a 20 year period of fluctuating disease incidence. Structural genes (over 20 % of the viral genome), which affect viral packaging, host-cell entry and immune response, were sequenced for 91 DENV-2 isolates derived from both low- and high-prevalence years. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that DENV-2 outbreaks in PR have been caused by viruses assigned to subtype IIIb, originally from Asia. Variation amongst DENV-2 viruses in PR has since largely arisen in situ, except for a lineage-replacement event in 1994 that appears to have non-PR New World origins. Although most structural genes have remained relatively conserved since the 1980s, strong evidence was found for positive selection acting on a number of amino acid sites in the envelope gene, which have also been important in defining phylogenetic structure. Some of these changes are exhibited by the multiple lineages present in 1994, during the largest Puerto Rican outbreak of dengue, suggesting that they may have altered disease dynamics, although their functional significance will require further investigation.
The evolution of prostate cancer treatment has now incorporated the principles of minimally invasive surgery. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, just like a virus, infected first Europe and three years ago the United States. This European virus has nowadays a potentially widespread application. Oncological efficacy and ability to preserve and improve continence and potency are the factors that will ultimately determine the role of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and thus the future of this virus infection. This article reviews the current published experience with minimally invasive prostatectomy and provides comparisons to published data on radical retropubic prostatectomy to increase awareness about viability. Some prospective and retrospective non-randomized comparative studies of the two approaches are also included in the present review. The current practice patterns regarding urological laparoscopic surgery and the tendency of the urologic community in Europe and in the United States to establish minimally invasive radical prostatectomy in more urological departments are described.
To address the mechanisms of host-virus adaptation and pathogenesis of lentiviral infections, we compared the evolution of the same isolate of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVsmm9) in two different situations: nonpathogenic infection of its natural host, the sooty mangabey, and AIDS-inducing infection of a new host, the rhesus macaque. Samples were obtained at 6, 12, and 23 or 30 months postinfection from three animals of each species. Sequences were derived from the V1 and V2 domains of the surface glycoprotein. In the macaques, we observed specific variations absent from all mangabey samples, indicating that different host species select different virus variants. In the macaques, we also observed a different shape in the phylogenetic tree, a lower divergence of sibling sequences, and a lower synonymous/nonsynonymous change ratio than in the mangabeys. This suggests that the viral population is larger and submitted to weaker selection pressures when host-virus adaptation is achieved, such as in the mangabey.