A speed-fidelity trade-off determines the mutation rate and virulence of an RNA virus.

ABSTRACT: Mutation rates can evolve through genetic drift, indirect selection due to genetic hitchhiking, or direct selection on the physicochemical cost of high fidelity. However, for many systems, it has been difficult to disentangle the relative impact of these forces empirically. In RNA viruses, an observed correlation between mutation rate and virulence has led many to argue that their extremely high mutation rates are advantageous because they may allow for increased adaptability. This argument has profound implications because it suggests that pathogenesis in many viral infections depends on rare or de novo mutations. Here, we present data for an alternative model whereby RNA viruses evolve high mutation rates as a byproduct of selection for increased replicative speed. We find that a poliovi

SUBMITTER: Fitzsimmons WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6040757 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature