Expanding the size limit of RNA viruses: Evidence of a novel divergent nidovirus in California sea hare, with a ~35.9 kb virus genome
While RNA viruses thrive with massive structural and functional diversity, their genomes size variation is particularly low, ranging only from ~2-to-33 kb. Here, I present the characterization of RNA sequences corresponding to the first virus associated with Aplysia californica. Genome structure and...
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| Format: | info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo |
| Language: | Inglés |
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BioRxiv
2022
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/12109 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/307678v1 https://doi.org/10.1101/307678 |
| Summary: | While RNA viruses thrive with massive structural and functional diversity, their genomes size variation is particularly low, ranging only from ~2-to-33 kb. Here, I present the characterization of RNA sequences corresponding to the first virus associated with Aplysia californica. Genome structure and domain architecture suggest that the identified virus is a novel member of Nidovirales. The proposed aplysia californica nido-like virus (AcNV), with a genome sequence of ca.35,906 nt, represents the longest ever recorded RNA virus yet. Phylogenetic insights indicate that AcNV clusters in a major phylloclade of unclassified invertebrate nidoviruses, Roniviridae, and Mesoniviridae. Basal branching in this emerging cluster could indicate that AcNV is a member of a novel divergent clade within Nidovirales. Further, virus RNA detection in multiple independent studies suggests that AcNV is neurotropic with a broad cell/tissue/organ tropism, supported by AcNV occurrence in diverse organs, including the first detection of a Nidovirales in single specific neurons. |
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