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Coevolution of a virus-alga system.

Plectonema boryanum, a filamentous blue-green alga, was cloned and then allowed to reach a steady state in a quasi-continuous culture in the presence of the algal virus, LPP-1. The culture was maintained for 3.5-month period during which time at least four distinct culture lysings were evident. After the fourth lysis the culture reached a steady-state level which was identical in its algal concentration to the preinfection level. Upon testing the characteristics of the evolved alga and virus variants, the following was determined: cell variants resistant to both the original virus and the derived virus had evolved, and there was no evidence of lysogeny present amony these cells. The evolved virus strains still grew on the parental algal strain, though with altered plaque morphology. Furthermore, they were antigenically similar to the parental virus, and showed no significant difference in adsorption rate or growth characteristics on parental cells. However, a low-grade chronic viral infection persisted in the culture. Rapid re-establishment of a dense, stable culture is apparantly the normal laboratory response of a procaryotic cell-virus system.

Adsorption

Molecular variants of human papillomavirus type 16 from four continents suggest ancient pandemic spread of the virus and its coevolution with humankind.

We have amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, cloned, and sequenced genomic segments of 118 human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) isolates from 76 cervical biopsy, 14 cervical smear, 3 vulval biopsy, 2 penile biopsy, 2 anal biopsy, and 1 vaginal biopsy sample and two cell lines. The specimens were taken from patients in four countries--Singapore, Brazil, Tanzania, and Germany. The sequence of a 364-bp fragment of the long control region of the virus revealed 38 variants, most of which differed by one or several point mutations. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by distance matrix methods and a transformation series approach. The trees based on the long control region were supported by another set based on the complete E5 protein-coding region. Both sets had two main branches. Nearly all of the variants from Tanzania were assigned to one (African) branch, and all of the German and most of the Singaporean variants were assigned to the other (Eurasian) branch. While some German and Singaporean variants were identical, each group also contained variants that formed unique branches. In contrast to the group-internal homogeneity of the Singaporean, German, and Tanzanian variants, the Brazilian variants were clearly divided between the two branches. Exceptions to this were the seven Singaporean isolates with mutational patterns typical of the Tanzanian isolates. The data suggest that HPV-16 evolved separately for a long period in Africa and Eurasia. Representatives of both branches may have been transferred to Brazil via past colonial immigration. The comparable efficiencies of transfer of the African and the Eurasian variants to the New World suggest pandemic spread of HPV-16 in past centuries. Representatives of the African branch were possibly transferred to the Far East along old Arab and Indonesian sailing routes. Our data also support the view that HPV-16 is a well-defined virus type, since the variants show only a maximal genomic divergence of about 5%. The small amount of divergence in any one geographic location and the lack of marked divergence between the Tanzanian and Brazilian African genome variants two centuries after their likely introduction into the New World suggest a very slow rate of viral evolution. The phylogenetic tree therefore probably represents a minimum of several centuries of evolution, if not an age equal to that of the respective human races.

Base Sequence

Evolution of human papillomavirus type 18: an ancient phylogenetic root in Africa and intratype diversity reflect coevolution with human ethnic groups.

Papillomaviruses are an ideal model system for the study of DNA virus evolution. On several levels, phylogenetic trees of papillomaviruses reflect the relationship of their hosts. Papillomaviruses isolated from remotely related vertebrates form major branches. One branch of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) includes an ape and two monkey papillomaviruses, possibly because the diversification of the viruses predated the separation of the infected-primate taxa. This hypothesis predicts that the root of the evolution of some if not all HPV types should point to Africa, since humans evolved from nonhuman primates in this continent. We tested this hypothesis and compared the genomic sequences of HPV type 18 (HPV-18) isolates from four continents. Diversity within HPV-18 correlates with patterns of the evolution and spread of Homo sapiens: HPV-18 variants, just like HPV-16 variants, are specific for the major human races, with maximal diversity in Africa. Outgroup rooting of the HPV-18 tree against HPV-45, which is closely related to HPV-18, identifies African HPV-18 variants at the root of the tree. The identification of an African HPV-45 isolate further reduces the evolutionary distance between HPV-18 and HPV-45. HPV-18 variants from Amazonian Indians are the closest relatives to those from Japanese and Chinese patients and suggest that a single point mutation in the phylogenetically evaluated genomic segment represents at least 12,000 years of evolution. We estimate that diversity within HPV-18 and probably within other HPV types evolved over a period of more than 200,000 years and that diversity between HPV types evolved over several million years.

Africa

Evidence of the coevolution of a snake toxin and its endogenous antitoxin cloning, sequence and expression of a serum albumin cDNA of the Chinese cobra.

A full-length cDNA of the serum albumin (CSA) of the cobra (Naja naja kaouthia) was cloned from a lambda gt 11 library. It encodes a mature protein of 614 amino-acid residues homologous to the precursor of mammalian serum albumins. The 1 degree and 2 degrees structures of the CSA resemble those of the human variety. The putative toxin binding sites are mainly located in the subdomains IIA and IIIA. The relation between structural homology and function of the serum albumins (SA) is discussed. An analysis of their evolutionary tree revealed that anti-toxicity arose by < 90 amino-acid exchanges. The rate of substitution is much higher in the SA than in cytochrome C, which probably reflects the difference in evolutionary driving forces. The evolutionary period of the SA (6.7 +/- 0.1 M.Y.) significantly exceeds that of hemoglobin (5.8 M.Y.). Eight tripeptides in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (ACR), all flanking the putative toxin binding site, are also found in the CSA where they join to form 1 octa-, 1 penta- and 4 tripeptides, thus indicating the concerted evolution of two functionally linked proteins: toxin and antitoxin (CSA).

Amino Acid Sequence

Coevolution of hosts and microorganisms: an analysis of the involvement of cytokines in host-parasite interactions.

Parasites may employ particular strategies of eluding an immune response by taking advantage of those mechanisms that normally guarantee immunological self-tolerance. Much in the way as it occurs during the establishment of self-tolerance, live pathogens may induce clonal deletion, functional inactivation (anergy) and immunosuppression. At this latter level, it appears that certain pathogens produce immunosuppressive cytokine-like mediators or provoke the host to secrete cytokines that will compromise the anti-parasite immune response. It appears that immune responses that preferentially involve T helper 1 cells (secretors of interleukin-2-and interferon-gamma) tend to be protective, whereas T helper 2 cells (secretors of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10), a population that antagonizes T helper cells, mediate disease susceptibility and are involved in immunopathological reactions. Cytokines produced by T helper 2 cells mediate many symptoms of infection, including eosinophilia, mastocytosis, hyperimmunoglobulinemia, and elevated IgE levels. Administration of IL-2 and IFN-gamma has beneficial effects in many infections mediated by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. The use of live vaccinia virus might be an avenue for the treatment of or the vaccination against infection. We have found that a vaccinia virus expressing the gene for human IL-2, though attenuated, precipitates autoimmune disease in immunodeficient, athymic mice. Thus, although T helper 1 cytokines may have desired immunostimulatory properties, they also may lead to unwarranted autoaggressive responses.

Animals

Examination of protein sequence homologies. VII. The complementary molecular coevolution of ribosomal proteins equivalent to Escherichia coli L7/L12 and L10.

Recently reported P1, P2 and metabacteria line sequences of transposition-type 'A' proteins, equivalent to Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L7/L12, were examined using a correlation method which evaluates the sequence similarity quantitatively. As the sequences could be aligned along the alignment previously constructed for 25 various 'A' proteins, the inclusive alignment further supports the previous claims concerning the rule of "preservation units" and the transpositional regeneration for metabacterial and eukaryotic 'A' proteins. Yeasts contain multispecies of P1 and P2 line genes and their P1 line sequences show low correlation coefficient values compared to other P1 line sequences, indicating a great evolutionary distance between lower and higher eukaryotes. Five sequences of protein P0 from metabacteria, yeast, and human, of which about 20 residues at the C termini are homologous with those of their own transposition-type 'A' proteins, were similarly examined. The N-terminal three-quarters of the sequences align naturally and the first two-thirds of the alignment could involve the E. coli L10 (EL10) sequence. An alignment of the remaining sequences at the C termini was established, relying on the well-matching sequence similarities between the metabacteria 'A' protein and their P0 protein sequences. Finally, the C-terminal halves of P0 protein sequences corresponded with almost overall sequences of the transposition-type 'A' proteins. The gene fusion of a protein might have resulted in the formation of the P0 proteins. A coupling of this gene fusion and the transposition of prototype 'A' proteins may have given rise to the complementary molecular transformations required for the development toward higher organism cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence

[The coevolution of ixodid ticks and terrestrial vertebrates].

Paleontologic and zoogeographic data speak in favour of Mesozoic origin of ixodid ticks. The absence of strict restrictions for the feeding on unusual species of hosts has caused the domination of polyphagy and oligophagy over monophagy among ixodid ticks. The same peculiarities of ixodid ecology are responsible for a restricted part or absence of phylogenetic parallelism with hosts in their evolution. Primary food relations with reptiles are, apparently, preserved only in the genus Aponomma and in many species of Amblyomma while hosts for most species of other genera are mammals and, to a lesser extent, birds. The number of potential hosts in these species can be much greater than that of real ones. Restrictions in the distribution of some species are connected rather with direct effect of unfavourable environmental factors on their nonparasitic stages of the life cycle than with the absence of suitable hosts. During the evolution of natural landscapes and at a shorter stages under the influence of successions or anthropogenic factors ixodids easily adapt themselves to feeding on new species of hosts. So the differentiation of primary and secondary hosts of these parasites is rather difficult.

Adaptation, Physiological

Mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), pathogens of the plant yellows diseases, as a model of coevolution between prokaryotes, insects and plants.

There is no satisfactory theory to explain how parasites whose effect is to kill or to weaken their hosts have been able to survive evolution. A good explanation may be found in the study of mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO). We show here the existence of natural cycles of MLO between symptomless wild plants and unaffected vectors. Such natural cycles may be the basis of a coevolutionary process by which the prokaryotes and the whole cycle have persisted to our time. Disease outbreaks occur with intrusion of a cultivated plant (direct mode) or an imported insect (indirect mode). From an evolutionary point of view, the natural cycle constitutes a protection for the host plants and natural vectors against the introduction of foreign plants or vectors as competitors in their ecological niche. A role of MLO and other parasites in evolution could be to provide stability to ecosystems, which is necessary for new characters to emerge.

Animals

Evolutionary dynamics of predator-prey systems: an ecological perspective.

Evolution takes place in an ecological setting that typically involves interactions with other organisms. To describe such evolution, a structure is needed which incorporates the simultaneous evolution of interacting species. Here a formal framework for this purpose is suggested, extending from the microscopic interactions between individuals--the immediate cause of natural selection, through the mesoscopic population dynamics responsible for driving the replacement of one mutant phenotype by another, to the macroscopic process of phenotypic evolution arising from many such substitutions. The process of coevolution that results from this is illustrated in the context of predator-prey systems. With no more than qualitative information about the evolutionary dynamics, some basic properties of predator-prey coevolution become evident. More detailed understanding requires specification of an evolutionary dynamic; two models for this purpose are outlined, one from our own research on a stochastic process of mutation and selection and the other from quantitative genetics. Much of the interest in coevolution has been to characterize the properties of fixed points at which there is no further phenotypic evolution. Stability analysis of the fixed points of evolutionary dynamical systems is reviewed and leads to conclusions about the asymptotic states of evolution rather different from those of game-theoretic methods. These differences become especially important when evolution involves more than one species.

Animals

Phylogenetic analysis of the outer-membrane-protein genes of Chlamydiae, and its implication for vaccine development.

Examination of 18 complete and 6 partial sequences of the major outer-membrane protein from 24 chlamydiae isolates was used to reconstruct their evolutionary relationships. From this analysis, assuming that the clades with 100% bootstrap support are correct, come the following conclusions: (1) The tree of these sequences is not congruent with the phylogeny of the hosts, and thus host switching would seem to have occurred, thereby limiting the extent to which there has been coevolution of parasite and host. (2) The tree is also noncongruent with clustering by type of cell infected, thereby limiting the extent to which there has been coevolution of parasite and the cell type that it infects. (3) The tree is also noncongruent with clustering by the organ infected (eyes or genitalia), thereby limiting the extent to which there has been coevolution of parasite and the organ that it infects. (4) The tree is also noncongruent with genital strains arising from lymphogranuloma venereum strains. (5) The tree is also noncongruent with the geographic site at which the isolates were obtained, thereby limiting the extent of divergence explained by geographic separation. (6) There are estimated to be 185 amino acid positions that are invariable (as opposed to unvaried) in the major outer-membrane protein. There are 10 unvaried positions in the variable domains, of which 9 appear to be invariable, giving some reason to hope that development of a vaccine might be possible. (7) The rate of change of this protein is too small to see increased divergence over the time span of isolation of these genes, giving hope to any vaccine having longevity. Bootstrapping supports those portions of the tree on which the first five conclusions above depend. The picture that these results provide is more one of pathogen versatility than one of coevolutionary constraints. In addition, we examined 10 60-KDa, outer-membrane protein-2 genes, all but one of which were from these same strains. The tree was not, among the trachomatis strains, congruent with the major-outer-membrane protein tree, suggesting that gene exchange could be occurring among strains. Moreover, there is an apparent slowdown in divergence in this gene, among the trachomatis strains.

Amino Acid Sequence