Background: The newly emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that first appeared in Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2012 has to date (20th September 2013) caused 58 human deaths. MERS-CoV utilizes the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) host cell receptor, and analysis of the long-term interaction between virus and receptor provides key information on the evolutionary events that lead to the viral emergence.
Findings: We show that bat DPP4 genes have been subject to significant adaptive evolution, suggestive of a long-term arms-race between bats and MERS related CoVs. In particular, we identify three positively selected residues in DPP4 that directly interact with the viral surface glycoprotein.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that the evolutionary lineage leading to MERS-CoV may have circulated in bats for a substantial time period.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3852826 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-10-304 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Recent Developments in Ventricular Assist Device Therapy.
Rev Cardiovasc Med
January 2025
Center for Preclinical Surgical & Interventional Research, The Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
The evolution of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) from large, pulsatile systems to compact, continuous-flow pumps has significantly improved implantation outcomes and patient mobility. Minimally invasive surgical techniques have emerged that offer reduced morbidity and enhanced recovery for LVAD recipients. Innovations in wireless power transfer technologies aim to mitigate driveline-related complications, enhancing patient safety and quality of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDevelopment of a new data management system for the study of the gut microbiome of children who are small for their gestational age.
Comput Struct Biotechnol J
December 2024
Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Microbiome studies aim to answer the following questions: which organisms are in the sample and what is their impact on the patient or the environment? To answer these questions, investigators have to perform comparative analyses on their classified sequences based on the collected metadata, such as treatment, condition of the patient, or the environment. The integrity of sequences, classifications, and metadata is paramount for the success of such studies. Still, the area of data management for the preliminary study results appears to be neglected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExperimental adaptation to singular pathogen challenge reduces susceptibility to novel pathogens in .
Curr Res Insect Sci
December 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, India.
Hosts often encounter and must respond to novel pathogens in the wild, that is pathogens that they have not encountered in recent evolutionary history, and therefore are not adapted to. How hosts respond to these novel pathogens and the outcome of such infections can be shaped by the host's evolutionary history, especially by how well adapted the host is to its native pathogens, that is pathogens they have evolved with. Host adaptation to one pathogen can either increase its susceptibility to a novel pathogen, due to specialization of immune defenses and trade-offs between different arms of the immune system, or can decrease susceptibility to novel pathogens by virtue of cross-resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntraspecific gene regulation in cis- and trans.
Evolution
January 2025
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
Changes in gene expression underlie much of evolution and occur via either cis-acting mutations, which lie near the affected gene and act in a context specific manner, or trans-acting mutations, which may be far from the affected gene and act through diffusible molecules such as transcription factors. A commonly held view is that most expression variation within species is controlled in trans- while expression differences between species are largely controlled in cis-. Here, we summarize recent intraspecific gene regulation studies and find, contrary to this widely held view, that many studies in diverse taxa have revealed a large role for cis-acting mutations underlying expression variation within species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasmodium falciparum CyRPA glycan binding does not explain adaptation to humans.
Genome Biol Evol
January 2025
Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum evolved from a parasite that infects gorillas, termed Plasmodium praefalciparum. The sialic acids on glycans on the surface of erythrocytes differ between humans and other apes. It has recently been shown that the P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!