Insight into the global evolution of Rodentia associated Morbilli-related paramyxoviruses

Wissem Ghawar,Wissem Ghawar,Wissem Ghawar,Steven M Goodman,Steven M Goodman,Mohamed Ali Snoussi,Mohamed Ali Snoussi,Jihéne Bettaieb,Jihéne Bettaieb,Dhafer Laouini,Dhafer Laouini,Adel Gharbi,Koussay Dellagi,Koussay Dellagi,Koussay Dellagi,Afif Ben Salah,Afif Ben Salah,Julien Mélade,Julien Mélade,Hervé Pascalis,Hervé Pascalis

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02206-0

Abstract

One portion of the family Paramyxoviridae is a group of Unclassified Morbilli-Related Viruses (UMRV) recently recognized in wild small mammals. At a global level, the evolutionary history of these viruses is not properly understood and the relationships between UMRV and their hosts still remain largely unstudied. The present study revealed, for the first time, that Rodentia associated UMRV emerged from a common ancestor in southern Africa more than 4000 years ago. Sequenced UMRV originating from different regions in the world, clustered into four well-supported viral lineages, which suggest that strain diversification occurred during host dispersal and associated exchanges, with purifying selection pressure as the principal evolutionary force. In addition, multi-introductions on different continents and islands of Rodentia associated UMRV and spillover between rodent species, most probably Rattus rattus, were detected and indicate that these animals are implicated in the vectoring and in the worldwide emergence of this virus group. The natural history and the evolution dynamics of these zoonotic viruses, originating from and hosted by wild animals, are most likely shaped by commensalism related to human activities.

Highlights

Paramyxoviruses (PV) belong to a family of negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that infect a large range of hosts including mammals, birds, reptiles and fish[1]
Unclassified Morbilli-Related Viruses (UMRV) are phylogenetically closely related with the genus Morbillivirus and some evidence exists that the latter emerged from the former and from Rodentia paramyxoviruses[12]
We investigated the phylogeography and evolutionary history of UMRV among Rodentia reservoir species and the role Rattus rattus plays in the global diffusion of these viruses

Summary

Introduction

Paramyxoviruses (PV) belong to a family of negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that infect a large range of hosts including mammals, birds, reptiles and fish[1]. We investigated the phylogeography and evolutionary history of UMRV among Rodentia reservoir species and the role Rattus rattus plays in the global diffusion of these viruses. We compared the UMRV sequences derived from the Tunisian samples to those previously described elsewhere in the world, including from rodent species endemic to Madagascar. Based on these comparisons and to the geographic origins of the samples, we highlight the relationships between UMRV and their rodent reservoir hosts, providing new insights into the mechanisms of their global evolution and their worldwide distribution. We present new phylogenetic data on the origins of UMRV and Morbillivirus

Methods

Results

Conclusion