Why Do RNA Viruses Recombine?

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Microbiol

Specialties Infectious Diseases
Microbiology

Date 2011 Jul 5

PMID 21725337

Citations 367

Authors

Etienne Simon-Loriere

Edward C Holmes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Recombination occurs in many RNA viruses and can be of major evolutionary significance. However, rates of recombination vary dramatically among RNA viruses, which can range from clonal to highly recombinogenic. Here, we review the factors that might explain this variation in recombination frequency and show that there is little evidence that recombination is favoured by natural selection to create advantageous genotypes or purge deleterious mutations, as predicted if recombination functions as a form of sexual reproduction. Rather, recombination rates seemingly reflect larger-scale patterns of viral genome organization, such that recombination may be a mechanistic by-product of the evolutionary pressures acting on other aspects of virus biology.

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