The genome of a Mesozoic paleovirus reveals the evolution of hepatitis B viruses

Suh, Alexander ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8979-9992, Brosius, Jürgen, Schmitz, Jürgen and Kriegs, Jan Ole (2013) The genome of a Mesozoic paleovirus reveals the evolution of hepatitis B viruses. Nature Communications, 4. ISSN 2041-1723

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Abstract

Paleovirology involves the identification of ancient endogenous viral elements within eukaryotic genomes. The evolutionary origins of the reverse-transcribing hepatitis B viruses, however, remain elusive, due to the small number of endogenized sequences present in host genomes. Here we report a comprehensively dated genomic record of hepatitis B virus endogenizations that spans bird evolution from >82 to <12.1 million years ago. The oldest virus relic extends over a 99% complete hepatitis B virus genome sequence and constitutes the first discovery of a Mesozoic paleovirus genome. We show that Hepadnaviridae are >63 million years older than previously known and provide direct evidence for coexistence of hepatitis B viruses and birds during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras. Finally, phylogenetic analyses and distribution of hepatitis B virus relics suggest that birds potentially are the ancestral hosts of Hepadnaviridae and mammalian hepatitis B viruses probably emerged after a bird-mammal host switch. Our study reveals previously undiscovered and multi-faceted insights into prehistoric hepatitis B virus evolution and provides valuable resources for future studies, such as in-vitro resurrection of Mesozoic hepadnaviruses.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: chemistry(all),biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology(all),physics and astronomy(all),sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1600
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 16 Sep 2022 15:36
Last Modified: 22 Oct 2022 07:58
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/88422
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2798

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