title: Lineage replacement accompanying duplication and rapid fixation of an RNA element in the nsP3 gene in a species of alphavirus.
abstract: A sequence of thirty-six nucleotides in the nsP3 gene of Ross River virus (RRV), coding for the amino acid sequence HADTVSLDSTVS, was duplicated some time between 1969 and 1979 coinciding with the appearance of a new lineage of this virus and with a major outbreak of Epidemic Polyarthritis among residents of the Pacific Islands. This lineage of RRV continues to circulate throughout Australia and both earlier lineages, which lacked the duplicated element, now are extinct. Multiple copies of several other elements also were observed in this region of the nsP3 gene in all lineages of RRV. Multiple copies of one of these, coding for the amino acid sequence P*P*PR, were detected in the C-terminal region of the nsP3 protein of all alphaviruses except those of African origin. The fixation of duplications and insertions in 3' region of nsP3 genes from all lineages of alphaviruses, suggests they provide some fitness advantage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 4059, Australia. j.aaskov@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aaskov
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kym
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lowry
authors.forename: Emerald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001168:Arthritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012398:Ross River virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C089383:nsp3 protein, alphavirus