Viral gain-of-function experiments uncover residues under diversifying selection in nature

Maddamsetti, R.; Johnson, D. T.; Spielman, S. J.; Petrie, K. L.; Marks, D. S.; Meyer, J. R.

doi:10.1101/242495

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/242495

Viral gain-of-function experiments uncover residues under diversifying selection in nature

Maddamsetti, R.·Johnson, D. T.·Spielman, S. J.·Petrie, K. L.·Marks, D. S.·Meyer, J. R.

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Abstract

Viral gain-of-function mutations are commonly observed in the laboratory; however, it is unknown whether those mutations also evolve in nature. We identify two key residues in the host recognition protein of bacteriophage {lambda} that are necessary to exploit a new receptor; both residues repeatedly evolved among homologs from environmental samples. Our results provide evidence for widespread host-shift evolution in nature and a proof of concept for integrating experiments with genomic epidemiology.

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Maddamsetti, R., Johnson, D. T., Spielman, S. J., Petrie, K. L., Marks, D. S., Meyer, J. R.. 2018-01-03. Viral gain-of-function experiments uncover residues under diversifying selection in nature. https://doi.org/10.1101/242495

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