Virus–Host Coevolution with a Focus on Animal and Human DNA Viruses

Abstract

Viruses have been infecting their host cells since the dawn of life, and this extremely long-term coevolution gave rise to some surprising consequences for the entire tree of life. It is hypothesised that viruses might have contributed to the formation of the first cellular life form, or that even the eukaryotic cell nucleus originates from an infection by a coated virus. The continuous struggle between viruses and their hosts to maintain at least a constant fitness level led to the development of an unceasing arms race, where weapons are often shuttled between the participants. In this literature review we try to give a short insight into some general consequences or traits of virus-host coevolution, and after this we zoom in to the viral clades of adenoviruses, herpesviruses, nucleo-cytoplasmic large DNA viruses, polyomaviruses and, finally, circoviruses.

Viruses as ‘Truffle Hounds’: Molecular Tools for Untangling Brain Cellular Pathology

“…Viruses usurp the replication mechanisms of their host cells and do not maintain their own, autonomous cellular metabolism. While it remains controversial how viruses originated [3], it is clear that viruses coevolve with their hosts [4]. Consistent with a history of virus-host cell coevolution, beneficial effects of viruses for adaptation have repeatedly been demonstrated, at both the phylogenetic and the ontogenetic level.…”

Identification of two novel adenoviruses in smooth-billed ani and tropical screech owl

“…A long-term co-evolution is hypothesised between this aviadenovirus and its host as aviadenoviruses infect a wide range of bird species [12,27,[31][32][33][34]42]. Though infectious, it may not be evidently pathogenic, as co-evolving viruses are often non-pathogenic or facultatively pathogenic to their host species [26,[43][44][45][46]. No pathological findings were observed apart from trauma due to vehicular damage neither in these anis nor in the screech owl.…”

“…Birds can be infected by highly divergent AdVs classified into three different genera: genus Aviadenovirus, Siadenovirus and Atadenovirus [11]. The pathogenicity of these viruses is not always clear, they can cause latent infections but diseases as well, depending on the virulence of the strain and also on cospeciation time [26]. The deeper evolutionary history of the family Adenoviridae still needs to be resolved, and the discovery of new AdVs in new hosts provides more accurate phylogenetic trees and better understanding of the co-evolution and host switches of these viruses.…”

Detailed phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 reveals latent capacity to bind human ACE2 receptor

“…1,2 Most known viruses maintain species-specific infectivity, often co-evolving with their host to mirror animal species trees. 3,4 While less common, the emergence of novel viral pathogens is of particular interest because they often exhibit abnormal degrees of infectivity and/or virulence, 5 having not evolved to a natural selection balance with their new host. 6 Viruses of animal origin include periodic Ebola outbreaks, 7 the 1918 "Spanish Flu", 8 and most recently, SARS-CoV-2, the viral agent that causes COVID-19.…”