Title
Assessing host-virus co-divergence for close relatives of Merkel cell polyomavirus infecting African great apes
Author(s)
Madinda, N.F.;Ehlers, B. ;Wertheim. J.O,.;Akoua-Koffi, C.;Bergl, R.A.;Boesch, C.;Boji Mungu Akonkwa, D. ;Eckardt, W. ;Fruth, B.;Gillespie, T.R. ;Gray, M. ;Hohmann, G.;Karhemere, S.;Kujirakwinja, D.;Langergraber, K.;Muyembe, J.J,.;Nishuli, R,.;Pauly, M.;Petrzelkova, K.J.;Robbins, M.M.;Todd, A.;Schubert, G.;Stoinski, T.S.;Wittig, R.M.;Zuberbühler, K. ;Peeters, M.;Leendertz, F.H.;Calvignac-Spencer, S.
Published
2016
Publisher
Journal of Virology
Abstract
It has long been hypothesized that polyomaviruses (PyV; family Polyomaviridae) co-diverged with their animal hosts. In contrast, recent analyses suggested co-divergence may only marginally influence the evolution of PyV. We re-assess this question by focusing on a single lineage of PyV infecting hominine hosts, the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) lineage. By characterizing their genetic diversity in seven African great ape taxa, we show that these viruses exhibit very strong host-specificity. Reconciliation analyses identify more co-divergence than non co-divergence events. In addition, we find that a number of host and PyV divergence events are synchronous. Collectively, our results support co-divergence as the dominant process at play during the evolution of the MCPyV lineage. More generally, it adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting an ancient and stable association of PyV and their animal hosts.
IMPORTANCE:
The processes involved in viral evolution and the interaction of viruses with their hosts are of great scientific interest and public health relevance. It has long been thought that the genetic diversity of double stranded DNA viruses was generated over long periods of time, similar to typical host evolutionary timescales. This was also hypothesized for polyomaviruses (family Polyomaviridae), a group comprising several human pathogens, but this remains a point of controversy. Here we investigate this question by focusing on a single lineage of polyomaviruses that infect both humans and their closest relatives, the African great apes. We show that these viruses exhibit considerable host-specificity and that their evolution largely mirrors that of their hosts, suggesting co-divergence with their hosts played a major role in their diversification. Our results provide statistical evidence in favor of an association of polyomaviruses and their hosts over millions of years.
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PUB18968