Abstract
The innate immunological response in mammals involves a diverse and complex network of many proteins. Over the last years, the tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5) and 22 (TRIM22) have shown promise as restriction factors of a plethora of viruses that infect primates. Although there have been studies describing the evolution of these proteins in a wide range of mammals, no prior studies of the TRIM6/34/5/22 gene cluster have been performed in the Chiroptera order. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the evolution of this gene cluster in several bat genomes. Examination of different yangochiroptera and yinpterochiroptera bat species revealed a dynamic history of gene expansion occurring in TRIM5 and TRIM22 genes. Multiple copies of TRIM5 were found in the genomes of several bats, demonstrating a very low degree of conservation in the synteny of this gene among species of the Chiroptera order. Our findings also reveal that TRIM22 is often found duplicated in yangochiroptera bat species, an evolutionary phenomenon not yet observed in any other lineages of mammals. In total, we identified 31 TRIM5 and 19 TRIM22 amino acids to be evolving under positive selection, with most of the residues being placed in the PRYSPRY domain, known to be responsible for binding to the viral capsid during restriction in the primate orthologous TRIM proteins. Altogether, our results help to shed light on the distinctive role of bats in nature as reservoirs of viruses, many of which have become threatening zoonotic diseases through virus spillover in the last decades.
Highlights
Introduction iationsViruses play a unique role in the evolution of vertebrates, acting as a source of evolutionary pressure, and promoting events of fast coevolution [1]
Basal duplications were identified to have happened in ancestors of Vespertiolionidae and Phyllostomidae, whereas more recent duplications have multiplied the number of tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5) copies in modern genera, leading to the accumulation of up to five paralogs in some species
The TRIM22 gene is found duplicated in the Chiroptera order, a novel evolutionary phenomenon which had not yet been observed in any other mammals
Summary
Introduction iationsViruses play a unique role in the evolution of vertebrates, acting as a source of evolutionary pressure, and promoting events of fast coevolution [1]. As the host evolves mechanisms to restrict the virus activity, it becomes necessary for the virus species to find new ways to spread on, starting an often lengthy evolutionary arms race [2]. One of the ways species have been found to combat viruses is through restriction factors, which are important components of the innate host immune system with the ability to inhibit virus replication [3]. The human genome has approximately 100 genes coding for TRIM proteins [8,9]. These proteins are characterized by the presence of three canonical domains: an N-terminal Some members of the tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein family are restriction factors that have previously been shown to have an important role in stopping viral infections in several mammals [4,5,6,7].
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