Recent insights into the evolution of innate viral sensing in animals

Abstract

The evolution of viral sensors is likely to be shaped by the constraint imposed through high conservation of viral Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs), and by the potential for 'arms race' coevolution with more rapidly evolving viral proteins. Here we review the recent progress made in understanding the evolutionary history of two types of viral sensor, RNA helicases and Toll-like receptors. We find differences both in their rates of evolution, and in the levels of positive selection they experience. We suggest that positive selection has been the primary driver of the rapid evolution of the RNA helicases, while selective constraint has been a stronger influence shaping the slow evolution of the Toll-like receptors.