Dinucleotide Composition in Animal RNA Viruses Is Shaped More by Virus Family than by Host Species.

ABSTRACT: Viruses use the cellular machinery of their hosts for replication. It has therefore been proposed that the nucleotide and dinucleotide compositions of viruses should match those of their host species. If this is upheld, it may then be possible to use dinucleotide composition to predict the true host species of viruses sampled in metagenomic surveys. However, it is also clear that different taxonomic groups of viruses tend to have distinctive patterns of dinucleotide composition that may be independent of host species. To determine the relative strength of the effect of host versus virus family in shaping dinucleotide composition, we performed a comparative analysis of 20 RNA virus families from 15 host groupings, spanning two animal phyla and more than 900 virus species. In particular, we

SUBMITTER: Di Giallonardo F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5375695 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature