Imprecise recombinant viruses evolve via a fitness-driven, iterative process of polymerase template-switching events

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009676
• Publication Date: 2021-08-20T18:42:00Z
• Authors: Kirsten Bentley; Fadi Ghassan Alnaji; Luke Woodford; Siân Jones; Andrew Woodman; David J. Evans
• Keywords: Viral evolution

Recombination is a common feature of many positive-strand RNA viruses, playing an important role in virus evolution. However, to date, there limited understanding the mechanisms behind process. Utilising vitro assays, we have previously shown that template-switching event recombination random and ubiquitous process often leads recombinant viruses with imprecise genomes containing sequence duplications. Subsequently, termed resolution, has yet be mechanistically studied, removes these duplicated sequences resulting population wild type length genomes. Using defined together Oxford Nanopore Illumina high throughput next generation sequencing technologies investigated resolution. We show genome resolution involves subsequent rounds viral fitness survival small subset This alters our held are independent steps process, instead demonstrates undergo frequent continuous events over prolonged period until fittest predominantly those genomes, dominate population.