The genome sequence of the emerging common midwife toad virus identifies an evolutionary intermediate within ranaviruses.

ABSTRACT: Worldwide amphibian population declines have been ascribed to global warming, increasing pollution levels, and other factors directly related to human activities. These factors may additionally be favoring the emergence of novel pathogens. In this report, we have determined the complete genome sequence of the emerging common midwife toad ranavirus (CMTV), which has caused fatal disease in several amphibian species across Europe. Phylogenetic and gene content analyses of the first complete genomic sequence from a ranavirus isolated in Europe show that CMTV is an amphibian-like ranavirus (ALRV). However, the CMTV genome structure is novel and represents an intermediate evolutionary stage between the two previously described ALRV groups. We find that CMTV clusters with several other ranavirus

SUBMITTER: Mavian C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3302492 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature