Virus evolution and population genetics


Richard Neher
Biozentrum, University of Basel


slides at neherlab.org/202104_computational_biology.html

Viruses

tobacco mosaic virus (Thomas Splettstoesser, wikipedia)

bacteria phage (adenosine, wikipedia)

influenza virus wikipedia

human immunodeficiency virus wikipedia
  • rely on host to replicate
  • little more than genome + capsid
  • genomes typically 5-200k bases (+exceptions)
  • most abundant organisms on earth $\sim 10^{31}$

Some viruses evolve a million times faster than animals

Animal haemoglobin

HIV protein

by Trevor Bedford
by Trevor Bedford

Tracking diversity and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Nextstrain

Available data on Jan 26

Early genomes differed by only a few mutations, suggesting very recent emergence
nextstrain.org/ncov/2020-01-26

Interactive part on Nextstrain

Time-scaled phylogenies

Tree building optimization with temporal constraints

  • Time stamps single out a root
  • Root can be found by optimizing root-to-tip regression
  • BEAST: Markov-Chain Monte Carlo tree sampler
  • If topology is correct, temporal constraints can be accounted for in linear time
  • Multiple tools: treedate, LSD, treetime

Time-scaled phylogenies

Attach sequences and dates
Propagate temporal constraints via convolutions
Integrate up-stream and down-stream constraints

Time-scaled phylogenies

  • Calibration points can be longitudinal samples, ancient DNA or fossils
  • Rates can vary between proteins and organisms from 0.01/year to $<10^{-8}$/y
  • Some site change often, some rarely → saturation
  • The apparent rate changes over time
  • Divergence times are often under estimated.

treetime.ch