Relation of genetic phylogeny and geographical distance of tick-borne encephalitis virus in central Europe.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important arboviral agent causing disease of the central nervous system in central Europe. In this study, 61 TBEV E gene sequences derived from 48 isolates from the Czech Republic, and four isolates and nine TBEV strains detected in ticks from Germany, covering more than half a century from 1954 to 2009, were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic and Bayesian phylodynamic analysis to determine the phylogeography of TBEV in central Europe. The general Eurasian continental east-to-west pattern of the spread of TBEV was confirmed at the regional level but is interlaced with spreading that arises because of local geography and anthropogenic influence. This spread is reflected by the disease pattern in the Czech Republic that has been observed since 1991. The overall evolutionary rate was estimated to be approximately 8×10(-4) substitutions per nucleotide per year. The analysis of the TBEV E genes of 11 strains isolated at one natural focus in zdár Kaplice proved for the first time that TBEV is indeed subject to local evolution.

Molecular analysis of a mutant Anticarsia gemmatalis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) shows an interruption of an inhibitor of apoptosis gene (iap-3) by a new class-II piggyBac-related insect transposon.

A new piggyBac-related transposable element (TE) was found in the genome of a mutant Anticarsia gemmatalis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus interrupting an inhibitor of apoptosis gene. This mutant virus induces apoptosis upon infection of an Anticarsia gemmatalis cell line, but not in a Trichoplusia ni cell line. The sequence of the new TE (which was named IDT for iap disruptor transposon) has 2531 bp with two DNA sequences flanking a putative Transposase (Tpase) ORF of 1719 bp coding for a protein with 572 amino acids. These structural features are similar to the piggyBac TE, also reported for the first time in the genome of a baculovirus. We have also isolated variants of this new TE from different lepidopteran insect cells and compared their Tpase sequences.

Expression and diversity of Echinococcus multilocularis AgB genes in secondarily infected mice: evaluating the influence of T-cell immune selection on antigenic variation.

The T-cell-mediated immune response exhibits a crucial function in the control of the intrahepatic proliferation of Echinococcus multilocularis larvae in mice and humans, both being natural intermediate hosts of the parasite. Antigen B (AgB), a metabolized Echinococcus spp. lipoprotein, contributes to the modulation of the T-cell immune response, and distinct sites of the corresponding AgB1, AgB3 and AgB4 genes were shown to be under positive selection pressure. Since several AgB gene variants are present in a single Echinococcus metacestode, we used secondary E. multilocularis infections in BALB/c and in athymic nude mice (devoid of T-cell responses) to analyze the effect of the cellular immune response on the expression and diversity of EmAgB1-EmAgB4 genes. We demonstrated hereby that EmAgB transcripts were less abundant in nude mice during the early phase of infection (at one month post-infection), and that EmAgB2 is simultaneously down-regulated when compared to the other three genes. A negative relationship exists between the level of transcription and diversity of EmAgB genes. Moreover, no excess of non-synonymous substitutions was found among the distinct EmAgB alleles from a single host. Together, these results pointed to the effect of purifying selection, which seemed to eliminate the detrimental AgB variants generated during the development of the metacestode within the peritoneal cavity of its intermediate host.

Tempo and mode of ERV-K evolution in human and chimpanzee genomes.

Several families of endogenous retrovirus (ERV) exist in copious numbers in the genomes of primate species. Therefore, we undertook a systematic search for endogenous retrovirus sequences from the ERV-K family, comparing across both human (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) genomes. Using conserved motifs of the ERV-K as query we identified and characterized 76 complete ERV-K elements, 54 in human (HERV-K), 34 of which were described previously, and 21 in the chimpanzee (CERV-K). Phylogenetic analysis using coding regions and LTRs showed the existence of two main branches. Group I was the most heterogeneous and had an average integration time of 18.3 MYBP (million years before present), using rates ranging from 1.5 to 4.0 x 10(-9) s/s/y (substitution per site per year). Group O/N integrated around 19.4 MYBP and nested Group N integrated about 14 MYBP. We found evidence for strong positive selection on the gag, pol and env coding regions and for A/T hypermutation. Our data suggest that the endogenous elements were possibly involved in chromosomal rearrangements and retained a great deal of information from their active stage, most likely as a consequence of host interactions. This study also contributes to the annotation effort of both human and chimpanzee genomes.

Searching for antigen B genes and their adaptive sites in distinct strains and species of the helminth Echinococcus.

Twenty-seven PCR-derived antigen B (AgB) nucleotide sequences from four Echinococcus species (Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus oligarthrus and Echinococcus vogeli) were aligned with 78 already published sequences, to generate a maximum likelihood phylogeny of the AgB multigene family. The phylogenetic analysis confirms that the family is constituted by four groups of genes present in each one of the four species (AgB1, AgB2, AgB3 and AgB4), and suggests that it originated by ancient duplication events preceding speciation within the genus. AgB5 sequences, which had been formerly suggested to correspond to a putatively new AgB subunit, cluster with AgB3. Likelihood tests suggest that AgB gene evolution may have been driven by heterogeneous selection pressures acting on particular AgB1, AgB3 and AgB4 codons. No selection is detected in AgB2. We discuss implications of our findings in terms of AgB biology and its use as a diagnostic tool.

Construction of a recombinant Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV-2D) harbouring the beta-galactosidase gene.

We have constructed a transfer vector (pAgGal) containing the beta-galactosidase gene under control of the Escherichia coli gpt and AgMNPV polyhedrin (polh) promoters. The transfer vector was cotransfected with wild type Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV) DNA into A. gemmatalis (UFL-AG-286) cells and a recombinant baculovirus (vAgGalA2) was isolated. The beta-galactosidase gene insertion was checked by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using DNA from AgMNPV and vAgGalA2 and primers specific for regions upstream and downstream of the polh gene. Insect cells (UFL-AG-286) were infected with the recombinant vAgGalA2 and wild type AgMNPV viruses and the production of the heterologous protein analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Pulse-Chase. Beta-galactosidase was expressed at high levels late on infection as expected for a gene under the control of the polh promoter. The highly expressed beta-galactosidase protein was also shown to be biologically active by a beta-galactosidase assay.

Evolution of base composition and codon usage bias in the genus Flavivirus.

The extent to which base composition and codon usage vary among RNA viruses, and the possible causes of this bias, is undetermined in most cases. A maximum-likelihood statistical method was used to test whether base composition and codon usage bias covary with arthropod association in the genus Flavivirus, a major source of disease in humans and animals. Flaviviruses are transmitted by mosquitoes, by ticks, or directly between vertebrate hosts. Those viruses associated with ticks were found to have a significantly lower G+C content than non-vector-borne flaviviruses and this difference was present throughout the genome at all amino acids and codon positions. In contrast, mosquito-borne viruses had an intermediate G+C content which was not significantly different from those of the other two groups. In addition, biases in dinucleotide and codon usage that were independent of base composition were detected in all flaviviruses, but these did not covary with arthropod association. However, the overall effect of these biases was slight, suggesting only weak selection at synonymous sites. A preliminary analysis of base composition, codon usage, and vector specificity in other RNA virus families also revealed a possible association between base composition and vector specificity, although with biases different from those seen in the Flavivirus genus.

Lack of evidence for cospeciation between retroelements and their hosts.

Some literature is available on cospeciation and on reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships of retroelements, but relatively little consideration has been given to whether there is cospeciation between retroelements and their hosts. Here we address this problem in detail. We conclude that there is no significant evidence for cospeciation between retroelements and their hosts. This conclusion was reached by noting that the branching order of the two phylogenies was no more similar than would be expected by chance.

Viral diseases and human evolution.

The interaction of man with viral agents was possibly a key factor shaping human evolution, culture and civilization from its outset. Evidence of the effect of disease, since the early stages of human speciation, through pre-historical times to the present suggest that the types of viruses associated with man changed in time. As human populations progressed technologically, they grew in numbers and density. As a consequence different viruses found suitable conditions to thrive and establish long-lasting associations with man. Although not all viral agents cause disease and some may in fact be considered beneficial, the present situation of overpopulation, poverty and ecological inbalance may have devastating effects on human progress. Recently emerged diseases causing massive pandemics (e.g., HIV-1 and HCV, dengue, etc.) are becoming formidable challenges, which may have a direct impact on the fate of our species.

Genealogical evidence for positive selection in the nef gene of HIV-1.

The pattern and process of evolution in the nef gene of HIV-1 was analyzed within and among patients. Using a maximum likelihood method that allows for variable intensity of selection pressure among codons, strong positive selection was detected in a hemophiliac patient over 30 mo of infection. By reconstructing the process of allele substitution in this patient using parsimony, the synapomorphic amino acid changes separating each time point were found to have high probabilities of being under positive selection, with selective coefficients of at least 3.6%. Positive selection was also detected among 39 nef sequences from HIV-1 subtype B. In contrast, multiple pairwise comparisons of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates provided no good evidence for positive selection and sliding window analyses failed to detect most positively selected sites. These findings demonstrate that positive selection is an important determinant of nef gene evolution and that genealogy-based methods outperform pairwise methods in the detection of adaptive evolution. Mapping the locations of positively selected sites may also be of use in identifying targets of the immune response and hence aid vaccine design.

Physical maps and virulence of Anticarsia gemmatalis nucleopolyhedrovirus genomic variants.

Seventeen plaque purified isolates of two viral preparations of Anticarsia gemmatalis multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AgMNPV), were analyzed in terms of the genomic changes after digestion of their DNAs with HindIII and PstI restriction enzymes. The 1979 AgMNPV wild type preparation (AgMNPV-'79) resulted in six different variants and the 1985 viral commercial preparation (AgMNPV-'85), in eleven. The genomic variation of all the isolates was mapped showing that those from 1985 presented more heterogeneity with changes mapped in additional sites in comparison to the AgMNPV-'79 variants. Their virulence was compared by infecting two Lepidopteran cell lines, Spodoptera frugiperda (IPLB-SF-21AE) and Anticarsia gemmatalis (UFL-AG-286). The results indicated that there was some difference in virulence within the AgMNPV-'85 variants. This commercial preparation had been applied in soybean fields in Brazil over several years to control the velvetbean caterpillar defoliation.

Identification, sequence analysis and phylogeny of the lef-2 gene of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid baculovirus.

The baculovirus late expression factor 2 (LEF-2) is involved in DNA replication, and most likely function as a primase processivity factor. Lef-2 genes have been found in multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedroviruses (MNPVs) and in granuloviruses (GVs), but not yet in single-nucleocapsid NPV (SNPV). Here, a lef-2 gene homolog was identified from SNPV of Helicoverpa armigera (HearNPV). The open reading frame of the HearNPV lef-2 gene is 696 nucleotides long, encoding a putative protein of 232 amino acids with an M(r) of about 26 kDa. The 5'-noncoding region contains two early (CAGT) consensus motifs for transcription initiation and three TATA boxes. Lef-2 transcripts started at a C, 29 nucleotides upstream of a putative translational start. A putative polyA signal, AATAAA, was found 76 nucleotides downstream of the translation stop codon. The HearNPV lef-2 gene has a low but significant degree of amino acid sequence identity (30%) to the lef-2 genes of 15 other baculoviruses of which nine were newly determined. The N-terminal half of the LEF-2 proteins contains one (I) and the C-terminal half two (II and III) conserved domains. Sixteen amino acids are absolutely conserved in those LEF-2 investigated and are probably critical for LEF-2 function. A phylogenetic tree of 16 baculovirus LEF-2 proteins was constructed by using maximum parsimony analysis and appeared to be comparable to a tree for ecdysteroid UDP-glucosyl transferases (Chen et al., 1997a). The genomic location of the lef-2 genes relative to polyhedrin/granulin and the clade structure of the gene trees suggest that genome organization and gene phylogeny are useful parameters to study the evolutionary history of baculoviruses. These two independent approaches also give a more complete picture of the ancestral relationship among baculovirus.

Genetic reassortment of Rift Valley fever virus in nature.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a phlebovirus of the Bunyaviridae family, is an arthropod-borne virus which emerges periodically throughout Africa, emphasizing that it poses a major threat for animal and human populations. To assess the genetic variability of RVFV, several isolates from diverse localities of Africa were investigated by means of reverse transcription-PCR followed by direct sequencing of a region of the small (S), medium (M), and large (L) genomic segments. Phylogenetic analysis showed the existence of three major lineages corresponding to geographic variants from West Africa, Egypt, and Central-East Africa. However, incongruences detected between the L, M, and S phylogenies suggested that genetic exchange via reassortment occurred between strains from different lineages. This hypothesis, depicted by parallel phylogenies, was further confirmed by statistical tests. Our findings, which strongly suggest exchanges between strains from areas of endemicity in West and East Africa, strengthen the potential existence of a sylvatic cycle in the tropical rain forest. This also emphasizes the risk of generating uncontrolled chimeric viruses by using live attenuated vaccines in areas of endemicity.

High prevalence of GB virus C in Brazil and molecular evidence for intrafamilial transmission.

The prevalence of GB virus C (GBV-C) in candidate Brazilian blood donors with normal and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels was found to be 5.2% (5 of 95) and 6.5% (5 of 76), respectively. Among Brazilian patients, GBV-C was found in 9.5% (13 of 137) of cases of hepatitis not caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), HBV, HCV, HDV, or HEV (non-A-E hepatitis) and in 18.2% (8 of 44) of individuals infected with HCV. Molecular characterization of GBV-C by partial sequencing of the NS3 region showed clustering between members of a single family, implying intrafamilial transmission. In conclusion, these results together suggest that contagion mechanisms which facilitate intrafamilial transmission of GBV-C may partially explain the high prevalence of viremic carriers worldwide.

Molecular epidemiology and emergence of Rift Valley fever.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral disease which manifested itself during recent epidemics and revealed its significant potential of emergence. Studies on molecular epidemiology undertaken to better understand the factors leading to RVF emergence, have confirmed the mode of circulation of the virus and highlighted probable risks and obstacles for prevention and control. As for several other viral agents, molecular epidemiology is becoming a useful tool in the study of the emergence of RVF as a serious infectious disease.

Molecular epidemiology and emergence of Rift Valley fever

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral disease which manifested itself during recent epidemics and revealed its significant potential of emergence. Studies on molecular epidemiology undertaken to better understanding the factors leading to RVF emergence, have confirmed the mode of circulation of the virus and highlighted probable risks and obstacles for prevention and control. As for several other viral agents, molecular epidemiology is becoming a useful tool in the study of the emergence of RVF as a serious infectious disease.

Prion's progress: patterns and rates of molecular evolution in relation to spongiform disease.

Modification of the cellular prion protein has been correlated with the acquisition of several neurodegenerative diseases, including kuru, scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Sequence conservation and amino acid identity are known to influence the efficacy of interspecific transmission. We analyzed patterns of interspecific genetic variation with a view toward identifying features related to disease transmission. The reconstructed gene trees and amino acid tree were compared with the species tree, and all discordances observed were related to the species barrier of disease transmission. The rates of synonymous substitution, nonsynonymous substitution, and nucleotide content were determined for the protein-coding gene. Substitutions implicated in each of the prion diseases were found to occur in regions of the protein that are least variable across all species-opposite to the pattern of variability expected from interaction with an infectious pathogen. Amino acid residues related to the species barrier form a single cluster associated with the first alpha-helical domain of the protein. Residues related to sporadic and hereditary human prion disease form two separate clusters, associated with the second and third alpha-helical domains. Taken together, these results are consistent with the view that prion diseases arise from accidents in protein folding, rather than infection with an undiscovered virus-like particle. We speculate that the differences in disease phenotype between transmissable and hereditary forms could result from interactions between different parts of the protein during propagation.