Discovery of novel papillomaviruses in the critically endangered Malayan and Chinese pangolins.

ABSTRACT: Pangolins are scaly and toothless mammals which are distributed across Africa and Asia. Currently, the Malayan, Chinese and Philippine pangolins are designated as critically endangered species. Although few pangolin viruses have been described, their viromes have received more attention following the discovery that they harbour sarbecoviruses related to SARS-CoV-2. Using large-scale genome mining, we discovered novel lineages of papillomaviruses infecting the Malayan and Chinese pangolins. We were able to assemble three complete circular papillomavirus genomes with an intact coding capacity and five additional L1 genes encoding the major capsid protein. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that seven out of eight L1 sequences formed a monophyletic group which is the sister lineage to the Tupaia

SUBMITTER: Nino Barreat JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9810420 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature