Genome comparison of a nonpathogenic myxoma virus field strain with its ancestor, the virulent Lausanne strain.
One of the best-studied examples of host-virus coevolution is the release of myxoma virus (MV) for biological control of European rabbits in Australia and Europe. To investigate the genetic basis of MV adaptation to its new host, we sequenced the genome of 6918, an attenuated Spanish field strain, and compared it with that of Lausanne, the strain originally released in Europe in 1952. Although isolated 43 years apart, the genomes were highly conserved (99.95% identical). Only 32 of the 159 MV predicted proteins revealed amino acid changes. Four genes (M009L, M036L, M135R, and M148R) in 6918 were disrupted by frameshift mutations.
Morales
Mónica
M
Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, 28130 Madrid, Spain.
Ramírez
Miguel A
MA
Cano
María J
MJ
Párraga
Mario
M
Castilla
Joaquín
J
Pérez-Ordoyo
Luis I
LI
Torres
Juan M
JM
Bárcena
Juan
J
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009233:Myxoma virus / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017384:Sequence Deletion
D004279:DNA, Viral