Title |
The genome of a Mesozoic paleovirus reveals the evolution of hepatitis B viruses
|
---|---|
Published in |
Nature Communications, April 2013
|
DOI | 10.1038/ncomms2798 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Alexander Suh, Jürgen Brosius, Jürgen Schmitz, Jan Ole Kriegs |
Abstract |
Paleovirology involves the identification of ancient endogenous viral elements within eukaryotic genomes. The evolutionary origins of the reverse-transcribing hepatitis B viruses, however, remain elusive, due to the small number of endogenized sequences present in host genomes. Here we report a comprehensively dated genomic record of hepatitis B virus endogenizations that spans bird evolution from >82 to <12.1 million years ago. The oldest virus relic extends over a 99% complete hepatitis B virus genome sequence and constitutes the first discovery of a Mesozoic paleovirus genome. We show that Hepadnaviridae are >63 million years older than previously known and provide direct evidence for coexistence of hepatitis B viruses and birds during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras. Finally, phylogenetic analyses and distribution of hepatitis B virus relics suggest that birds potentially are the ancestral hosts of Hepadnaviridae and mammalian hepatitis B viruses probably emerged after a bird-mammal host switch. Our study reveals previously undiscovered and multi-faceted insights into prehistoric hepatitis B virus evolution and provides valuable resources for future studies, such as in-vitro resurrection of Mesozoic hepadnaviruses. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Canada | 2 | 15% |
United States | 2 | 15% |
Italy | 1 | 8% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 8% |
Argentina | 1 | 8% |
Unknown | 6 | 46% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 8 | 62% |
Scientists | 4 | 31% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 8% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | 2% |
Colombia | 1 | 1% |
Germany | 1 | 1% |
Austria | 1 | 1% |
Canada | 1 | 1% |
Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1% |
Denmark | 1 | 1% |
China | 1 | 1% |
Russia | 1 | 1% |
Other | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 76 | 87% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 19 | 22% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 16 | 18% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 11 | 13% |
Student > Master | 9 | 10% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 8% |
Other | 15 | 17% |
Unknown | 10 | 11% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 31 | 36% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 14 | 16% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 9 | 10% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 8 | 9% |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | 2 | 2% |
Other | 11 | 13% |
Unknown | 12 | 14% |