Reverse Engineering Field Isolates of Myxoma Virus Demonstrates that Some Gene Disruptions or Losses of Function Do Not Explain Virulence Changes Observed in the Field.

ABSTRACT: The coevolution of myxoma virus (MYXV) and wild European rabbits in Australia and Europe is a paradigm for the evolution of a pathogen in a new host species. Genomic analyses have identified the mutations that have characterized this evolutionary process, but defining causal mutations in the pathways from virulence to attenuation and back to virulence has not been possible. Using reverse genetics, we examined the roles of six selected mutations found in Australian field isolates of MYXV that fall in known or potential virulence genes. Several of these mutations occurred in genes previously identified as virulence genes in whole-gene knockout studies. Strikingly, no single or double mutation among the mutations tested had an appreciable impact on virulence. This suggests either that virulen

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5625522 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature