title: A reevaluation of the higher taxonomy of viruses based on RNA polymerases.
abstract: In order to assess the validity of classifications of RNA viruses, published alignments and phylogenies of RNA-dependent RNA and DNA polymerase sequences were reevaluated by a Monte Carlo randomization procedure, bootstrap resampling, and phylogenetic signal analysis. Although clear relationships between some viral taxa were identified, overall the sequence similarities and phylogenetic signals were insufficient to support many of the proposed evolutionary groupings of RNA viruses. Likewise, no support for the common ancestry of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and reverse transcriptases was found.
authors.affiliation: Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Zanotto
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D010802:Phylogeny; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000145:classification; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000145:classification; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases