These findings support prior descriptions of virulence as a complex trait in MDV, and highlight the potential contribution of repeat-based and intergenic variants to the phenotypic diversity of herpesviruses.
Abstract
Comparative genomic studies of Marek’s disease virus (MDV) conducted in the past two decades have proven powerful for identifying genomic loci driving historical shifts in virulence. However, past efforts were limited to comparing a few strains at a time, lacked access to certain regions of the MDV genome, and were restricted in their ability to characterize viral phenotypes. To address these limitations, we performed whole-genome sequencing on a collection of 65 MDV strains previously characterized using a standardized phenotyping assay. In addition to phylogenetic and recombination analyses, this approach enabled us to perform a genome-wide association study of virulence for this pathogen. In total, we identified 10 genome-wide significant loci associated with virulence, including a tandem repeat variant resulting from two alternative versions of a 132-bp repeating motif. Our findings support prior descriptions of virulence as a complex trait in MDV, and highlight the potential contribution of repeat-based and intergenic variants to the phenotypic diversity of herpesviruses.
The proviral load (PVL) of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is associated with viral transmission and disease progression to BLV-induced enzootic bovine leukosis and is influenced by genetic polymorphisms of the bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3 gene. However, its host genetic determinants remain partially defined becaus...
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It is shown that non-structural protein-15 (NSP15), a nuclease encoded by coronaviruses, can drive the acquisition of a class of insertion mutations, and numerous examples of potential furin cleavage site acquisition and replacement through insertion mutation during the normal course of coronavirus replication are foun...
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Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a classic member of the genus Orbivirus and one of the most genetically complex arboviruses infecting ruminants. Its segmented, double-stranded genome, comprising ten RNA segments, provides exceptional capacity for genetic reassortment, high variability, and rapid adaptation to new ecological...
D. Mazbayeva, Z. Kondibayeva, A. Ussembay et al.· МИКРОБИОЛОГИЯ ЖӘНЕ ВИРУСОЛОГ...· 0 citations
Long-read sequencing has revealed complex variations, such as gene conversions in immunologically critical PE/PPE gene families, yet their role in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
host adaptation remains unclear.
We performed a comparative genomic analysis across a gradient of host-imposed selective pressure...
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An open pan-genomic and functional analysis of 242 L. longbeachae isolates reveals an open pan-genome driven by extensive horizontal gene transfer and marked functional divergence between core and accessory genomes, revealing a distinct pathogenic profile in sg3 that differs from the canonical serogroups, characterized...
Jun-Wei Xu, Yuan He, Xue-Fu Zhou et al.· Applied and Environmental Mi...· 0 citations
Simple Summary Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an important swine pathogen that can also infect a broad range of non-porcine mammals. In this study, five PRV genes, UL21, UL24, UL50, UL56, and gG, were individually disrupted in the same PRV JM genetic background using CRISPR/Cas9, and the resulting viruses were comparative...
