Codivergence of Mycoviruses with Their Hosts
Author Information
Author(s): Göker Markus, Scheuner Carmen, Klenk Hans-Peter, Stielow J. Benjamin, Menzel Wulf
Primary Institution: DSMZ – German Collection for Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
Hypothesis
Do mycoviruses codiverge with their hosts?
Conclusion
The study found that codivergence is the dominant mode of virus diversification among mycoviruses and their hosts, particularly in the families Partitiviridae and Totiviridae.
Supporting Evidence
- The trees of the two largest families, Partitiviridae and Totiviridae, were significantly more similar to those of their hosts than expected by chance.
- Most individual host-virus links had a significant positive impact on the global fit.
- The remaining virus families either lacked an apparent overall pattern or were dominated by other evolutionary modes.
Takeaway
This study looks at how viruses that infect fungi evolve together with their fungal hosts, showing that they often change together over time.
Methodology
The study analyzed the evolutionary dynamics of mycovirus families by comparing virus and host phylogenies and assessing the sensitivity of co-phylogenetic tests.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the classification of host taxa and the methods used for phylogenetic inference.
Limitations
The study's findings may be limited by insufficient taxon sampling in some mycovirus families.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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