Host-Specific and Segment-Specific Evolutionary Dynamics of Avian and Human Influenza A Viruses: A Systematic Review

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 13;11(1):e0147021. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147021. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of influenza viruses is essential to control both avian and human influenza. Here, we analyze host-specific and segment-specific Tajima's D trends of influenza A virus through a systematic review using viral sequences registered in the National Center for Biotechnology Information. To avoid bias from viral population subdivision, viral sequences were stratified according to their sampling locations and sampling years. As a result, we obtained a total of 580 datasets each of which consists of nucleotide sequences of influenza A viruses isolated from a single population of hosts at a single sampling site within a single year. By analyzing nucleotide sequences in the datasets, we found that Tajima's D values of viral sequences were different depending on hosts and gene segments. Tajima's D values of viruses isolated from chicken and human samples showed negative, suggesting purifying selection or a rapid population growth of the viruses. The negative Tajima's D values in rapidly growing viral population were also observed in computer simulations. Tajima's D values of PB2, PB1, PA, NP, and M genes of the viruses circulating in wild mallards were close to zero, suggesting that these genes have undergone neutral selection in constant-sized population. On the other hand, Tajima's D values of HA and NA genes of these viruses were positive, indicating HA and NA have undergone balancing selection in wild mallards. Taken together, these results indicated the existence of unknown factors that maintain viral subtypes in wild mallards.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Animals
  • Birds
  • Computational Biology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Genes, Viral*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Humans
  • Influenza A virus / genetics*
  • Influenza in Birds / epidemiology
  • Influenza in Birds / virology*
  • Influenza, Human / epidemiology
  • Influenza, Human / virology*
  • Models, Statistical
  • Mutation

Grants and funding

This work was supported by CREST (KI) and PRESTO (RO) from Japan Science and Technology Agency (http://www.jst.go.jp/), and by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (KI, 25280080) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology in Japan (http://www.mext.go.jp/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.