title: Anomalies in the influenza virus genome database: new biology or laboratory errors?
abstract: A search of the influenza virus genome database reveals anomalies associated with a nonnegligible number of submitted sequences. There are many pairs of viral segments that are very close to each other in nucleotide sequence but relatively far apart in reported time of isolation, resulting in an abnormally low evolutionary rate. Also, some sequences show clear evidence of apparent homologous recombination, a process normally assumed to be extremely rare or nonexistent in this virus. These findings may point to surprising new biology but are perhaps more readily explained by stock contamination or other errors in the sequencing laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Dr, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA. krasnitz@ias.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krasnitz
authors.forename: Arnold J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabadan
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001695:Biology; D019992:Databases as Topic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016679:Genome, Viral; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013048:Specimen Handling