The origin of the variola virus

Viruses
I V Babkin, Irina N Babkina

Abstract

The question of the origin of smallpox, one of the major menaces to humankind, is a constant concern for the scientific community. Smallpox is caused by the agent referred to as the variola virus (VARV), which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. In the last century, smallpox was declared eradicated from the human community; however, the mechanisms responsible for the emergence of new dangerous pathogens have yet to be unraveled. Evolutionary analyses of the molecular biological genomic data of various orthopoxviruses, involving a wide range of epidemiological and historical information about smallpox, have made it possible to date the emergence of VARV. Comparisons of the VARV genome to the genomes of the most closely related orthopoxviruses and the examination of the distribution their natural hosts' ranges suggest that VARV emerged 3000 to 4000 years ago in the east of the African continent. The VARV evolution rate has been estimated to be approximately 2 × 10-6 substitutions/site/year for the central conserved genomic region and 4 × 10-6 substitutions/site/year for the synonymous substitutions in the genome. Presumably, the introduction of camels to Africa and the concurrent changes to the climate were the particular factors...Continue Reading

References

Dec 1, 1975·The Journal of Infectious Diseases·B LourieH W Setzer
Mar 22, 2002·The Journal of General Virology·Caroline Gubser, Geoffrey L Smith
Mar 30, 2002·The New England Journal of Medicine·Joel G Breman, D A Henderson
May 30, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Ariella M RosengardRobert Jimenez
Jun 14, 2003·Journal of Virology·Chris UptonRachel L Roper
Oct 15, 2003·Trends in Microbiology·Sun-Hwa LeeRobert E Means
Dec 9, 2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Aoife McLysaghtBrandon S Gaut
Jan 14, 2004·The Journal of General Virology·Caroline GubserGeoffrey L Smith
Mar 5, 2004·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Mike Bray, Mark Buller
Dec 9, 2004·Doklady. Biochemistry and Biophysics·I N BabkinaS N Shchelkunov
Jan 18, 2005·Molecular and Cellular Probes·S N ShchelkunovI V Babkin
Mar 2, 2005·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Grant McFadden
Feb 7, 2006·Lancet·Zack S MooreJ Michael Lane
Feb 21, 2006·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Mark E J Woolhouse, Sonya Gowtage-Sequeria
Mar 1, 2006·Virus Research·E J LefkowitzC Upton
Mar 10, 2006·Molekuliarnaia biologiia·I V Babkin, S N Shchelkunov
Jul 29, 2006·Science·Joseph J EspositoRobert M Wohlhueter
Aug 31, 2006·Journal of Virology·E R TulmanD L Rock
May 18, 2007·Nature·Nathan D WolfeJared Diamond
Jul 12, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Oliver Piskurek, Norihiro Okada
Sep 29, 2007·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yu LiInger K Damon
Jan 25, 2008·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Giliane S TrindadeInger K Damon
Mar 6, 2008·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Siobain DuffyEdward C Holmes
Oct 2, 2008·Genetika·I V Babkin, S N Shelkunov
Oct 17, 2008·Molekuliarnaia biologiia·I V BabkinS N Shchelkunov
May 20, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mohamed R MohamedGrant McFadden
Jan 1, 2008·Journal of Infection in Developing Countries·Nissin MoussatchéGrant McFadden
Sep 30, 2009·The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, New York·Robert J Littman
Oct 16, 2009·Veterinary Microbiology·Sandra EssbauerHermann Meyer
Oct 17, 2009·Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases·Austin L HughesRobert Friedman
Oct 30, 2009·PloS One·Ginny L EmersonDarin S Carroll
Nov 3, 2009·Archives of Virology·Sergei N Shchelkunov
Dec 1, 2009·Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR·Kim Van VlietGrant McFadden
Feb 20, 2010·Veterinary Research·Esteban Domingo
Apr 7, 2010·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Cadhla FirthAndrew Rambaut
Jan 14, 2011·Intervirology·Igor V Babkin, Irina N Babkina
Aug 23, 2011·PloS One·Darin S CarrollHermann Meyer
Oct 14, 2011·Viruses·Robert Curtis HendricksonElliot J Lefkowitz
Mar 24, 2012·Current Opinion in Virology·Robert BelshawOliver G Pybus
Aug 11, 2012·Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases·Igor V Babkin, Irina N Babkina
Aug 21, 2012·Cell·John R Roth, D I Andersson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 9, 2016·The Journal of General Virology·Mark A O'DeaChris Upton
Dec 13, 2016·Current Biology : CB·Ana T DugganHendrik N Poinar
Feb 16, 2018·Journal of Medical Virology·Gianguglielmo ZehenderMassimo Galli
Sep 29, 2017·Viruses·Ashleigh F PorterEdward C Holmes
Aug 14, 2018·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Dillon C AdamChandini Raina MacIntyre
Jan 23, 2019·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Julien AndreaniBernard La Scola
Nov 20, 2019·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Julien AndreaniBernard La Scola
Oct 6, 2020·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Giada FerrariVerena J Schuenemann
Oct 29, 2020·Immunology and Cell Biology·Christopher C Goodnow
Feb 13, 2021·Pathogens and Global Health·Alexander Mercer
Dec 3, 2020·Pathogens·Justyna Struzik, Lidia Szulc-Dąbrowska
Jul 25, 2020·Science·Antonio Alcamí
Oct 12, 2016·Microbiology Spectrum·Catherine ThèvesPhilippe Biagini
Aug 11, 2021·Vaccine·Luca Borghi, Elisabetta Riva

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

Beast
Multidivtime

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases
I V Babkin, Irina N Babkina
Molekuliarnaia biologiia
I V Babkin, Sergei N Shchelkunov
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Yu LiI K Damon
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved