Human and Simian Adenoviruses: Phylogenetic Inferences from Analysis of VA RNA Genes

Abstract

Adenovirus VA RNA genes have primary sequence constraints due to internal promoter regions and a high degree of secondary structure in the RNA product. To determine the relationships between human and simian adenoviruses, the VA RNA genes of several primate adenoviruses were characterized and compared to those sequences already published. Human adenoviruses of subgenera A, B:2, and F have only one VA RNA gene, whereas human adenoviruses of subgenera B:1, C, D, and E have two. The genomes of 12 monkey adenoviruses were found to have only one VA RNA gene, whereas the genomes of six representative chimpanzee adenoviruses were each found to have two VA RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of representative VA RNA gene sequences individually, irrespective of their strain of origin or partnering VA RNA gene, gave the following inferences. (1) The single VA RNA genes of human adenovirus subgenera A and F are most closely related to those of monkey adenoviruses. (2) The VA RNAI genes of human adenoviruses in subgenera B:1, D, and E, and also the single VA RNA genes of subgenus B:2 probably diverged from a common ancestral VA RNA gene. (3) This ancestral gene most likely reduplicated to give the precursor of all VA RNAII genes, the evidence for which has been almost totally lost in subgenus B:2 adenoviruses. (4) The two VA RNA genes of human subgenus C adenoviruses are relatively distant from each other phylogenetically. Since the Ad2 and Ad5 VA RNAI genes have a higher identity to the single VA RNA gene of SAV13 (SV36) than to those of any of the other human adenoviruses, these genes may have entered the human subgenus C adenovirus genome by substitution involving recombination with a simian adenovirus. The results of this study suggest that a renewed appraisal of VA RNA function in adenoviruses other than Ad2 and Ad5 may be necessary.

Genomic Analyses of Recombinant Adenovirus Type 11a in China

“…In addition, a close genetic relationship has been reported to exist between the HAdVs and SAdVs (17,25). When we selected SAdV-21 for comparison, we found that HAdV-11 QS also exhibited a high degree of amino acid sequence homology (average, Ͼ90%) with SAdV-21, except in the fiber region ( Table 2), which enabled differentiation between the AdV species and interaction with the receptor on the target cells.…”

Novel Adenoviruses in Wild Primates: a High Level of Genetic Diversity and Evidence of Zoonotic Transmissions

“…Numbers of AdVs found in each host species are given in parentheses: numbers of published AdVs are given before the slash, in black, and numbers of novel AdVs from this study are given behind the slash, in blue. 55), and most studies on NHP AdVs involve captive animals from zoos and animal facilities (3,4,6,10,24,30,31,33,34,36,40,45,46,56,61). Therefore, our study on wild primates is of importance because it provides insight into natural AdV diversity and evolution.…”

Ovine adenovirus (OAV287) lacks a virus-associated RNA gene.

“…The consensus promoter sequences (A and B boxes) for pol III recognition have previously been characterized for various genes (Fowlkes & Shenk, 1980) and for human and simian adenoviruses (Ma & Mathews, 1993 ;Kidd et al, 1995). For CELO virus VA RNA, only minimal similarity is shared in the region of the B box (Larsson et al, 1986 ;Ma & Mathews, 1993).…”

“…For CELO virus VA RNA, only minimal similarity is shared in the region of the B box (Larsson et al, 1986 ;Ma & Mathews, 1993). The element GGTTC is highly conserved in the B box of many pol III-transcribed genes, but GGaTC is allowed in some cases (Fowlkes & Shenk, 1980 ;Bandea et al, 1992 ;Ma & Mathews, 1993 ;Kidd et al, 1995). Within the left-hand OAV FBD A. Venktesh and others A. Venktesh and others ORFs which show homology within and across genomes are indicated by the same symbol.…”