Genomic Analysis of Amphioxus Reveals a Wide Range of Fragments Homologous to Viral Sequences
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AbstractAmphioxus species are considered living fossils and are important in the evolutionary study of chordates and vertebrates. To explore viral homologous sequences, a high-quality annotated genome of the Beihai amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri beihai) was examined using virus sequence queries. In this study, 347 homologous fragments (HFs) of viruses were identified in the genome of B. belcheri beihai, of which most were observed on 21 genome assembly scaffolds. HFs were preferentially located within protein-coding genes, particularly in their CDS regions and promoters. A range of amphioxus genes with a high frequency of HFs is proposed, including histone-related genes that are homologous to the Histone or Histone H2B domains of viruses. Together, this comprehensive analysis of viral HFs provides insights into the neglected role of viral integration in the evolution of amphioxus.
All Author(s) ListQiao DU, Fang PENG, Qing XIONG, Kejin XU, Kevin Yi YANG, Mingqiang WANG, Zhitian WU, Shanying LI, Xiaorui CHENG, Xinjie RAO, Yuyouye WANG, Stephen Kwok-Wing TSUI, Xi ZENG
Journal nameViruses
Year2023
Month4
Volume Number15
Issue Number4
PublisherMDPI
Article number909
ISSN1999-4915
LanguagesEnglish-United Kingdom
Keywordsamphioxus, virus, homologous fragment, evolution
Web of Science Subject CategoriesVirology;Virology