Crocodilepox Virus Evolutionary Genomics Supports Observed Poxvirus Infection Dynamics on Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Sarker, Subir, Isberg, Sally R., Moran, Jasmin L., De Araujo, Rachel, Elliott, Nikki, Melville, Lorna, Beddoe, Travis, and Helbig, Karla J. (2019) Crocodilepox Virus Evolutionary Genomics Supports Observed Poxvirus Infection Dynamics on Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Viruses, 11 (12). 1116.

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DOI: 10.3390/v11121116

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.3390/v11121116

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Abstract

Saltwater crocodilepox virus (SwCRV), belonging to the genus Crocodylidpoxvirus, are large DNA viruses posing an economic risk to Australian saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) farms by extending production times. Although poxvirus-like particles and sequences have been confirmed, their infection dynamics, inter-farm genetic variability and evolutionary relationships remain largely unknown. In this study, a poxvirus infection dynamics study was conducted on two C. porosus farms. One farm (Farm 2) showed twice the infection rate, and more concerningly, an increase in the number of early- to late-stage poxvirus lesions as crocodiles approached harvest size, reflecting the extended production periods observed on this farm. To determine if there was a genetic basis for this difference, 14 complete SwCRV genomes were isolated from lesions sourced from five Australian farms. They encompassed all the conserved genes when compared to the two previously reported SwCRV genomes and fell within three major clades. Farm 2′s SwCRV sequences were distributed across all three clades, highlighting the likely mode of inter-farm transmission. Twenty-four recombination events were detected, with one recombination event resulting in consistent fragmentation of the P4c gene in the majority of the Farm 2 SwCRV isolates. Further investigation into the evolution of poxvirus infection in farmed crocodiles may offer valuable insights in evolution of this viral family and afford the opportunity to obtain crucial information into natural viral selection processes in an in vivo setting.


Item ID:	79836
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1999-4915
Keywords:	Complete genome, Evolution, Genetic recombination, Infection dynamics, Saltwater crocodilepox virus
Copyright Information:	© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2023 05:05
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3009 Veterinary sciences > 300913 Veterinary urology @ 50% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3105 Genetics > 310509 Genomics @ 50%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1004 Livestock raising > 100408 Minor livestock (e.g. alpacas, ostriches, crocodiles, farmed rabbits) @ 50% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 25% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280101 Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences @ 25%
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