Dating the Time of Viral Subtype Divergence
Author Information
Author(s): John D. O'Brien, Zhen-Su She, Marc A. Suchard
Primary Institution: UCLA
Hypothesis
Can we estimate the time of viral subtype divergence without assuming a molecular clock?
Conclusion
The study presents a new method for estimating the time of divergence among viral subtypes, showing that the divergence of influenza subtypes A-H3N2 and B occurred approximately 100 years ago, which is much more recent than previous estimates.
Supporting Evidence
- The new method estimates divergence times without relying on a molecular clock.
- The divergence time for influenza subtypes A-H3N2 and B was found to be approximately 100 years ago.
- Previous estimates of divergence ranged from 250 to 3800 years ago.
Takeaway
The researchers found a way to tell when different types of viruses split from each other, and they discovered that one type of flu virus split more recently than scientists thought.
Methodology
The study uses a triplet method to estimate the rate of nucleotide substitution between viral subtypes without assuming a molecular clock.
Potential Biases
The analysis may be biased by the choice of sequence alignment.
Limitations
The method requires an outgroup subtype to function as a reference, which may limit its applicability.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website