Comments on: Negative sense RNA viruses http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2008/02/04/negative-sense-rna-viruses/ The latest news about microbiology Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:34:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ajcann http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2008/02/04/negative-sense-rna-viruses/comment-page-1/#comment-835 ajcann Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:24:29 +0000 http://microbiologybytes.wordpress.com/?p=460#comment-835 It's a fair cop Ed! I was thinking about the biological diversity in these viruses in terms of pathogenesis, so I've edited our the G-word in the offending remark to reflect this! It’s a fair cop Ed! I was thinking about the biological diversity in these viruses in terms of pathogenesis, so I’ve edited our the G-word in the offending remark to reflect this!

]]> By: Ed Rybicki http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2008/02/04/negative-sense-rna-viruses/comment-page-1/#comment-836 Ed Rybicki Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:03:58 +0000 http://microbiologybytes.wordpress.com/?p=460#comment-836 I have to argue with the statement that "this is possibly the most diverse class of virus genomes": in fact, if you consider their RDRP genes, they are far more closely related than +RNA viruses - and in Order <i>Mononegavirales</i>, you have very clear evidence of descent from a single ancestor. Probably in an insect or insect progenitor. The fact of some -RNA viruses having multipartite and even partially ambisense genomes should not cloud the issue: picorna-like viruses can swap which end of the genome has the coat protein gene(s) and also potentially have a variety of body plans (1- or 2-component). Thus, bunya-like viruses are probably not more evolutionarily separated from mononega-type viruses than picorna-type are from alpha-type +RNA viruses - and probably less so, if polymerase affinities are considered. I have to argue with the statement that “this is possibly the most diverse class of virus genomes”: in fact, if you consider their RDRP genes, they are far more closely related than +RNA viruses – and in Order Mononegavirales, you have very clear evidence of descent from a single ancestor. Probably in an insect or insect progenitor.

The fact of some -RNA viruses having multipartite and even partially ambisense genomes should not cloud the issue: picorna-like viruses can swap which end of the genome has the coat protein gene(s) and also potentially have a variety of body plans (1- or 2-component). Thus, bunya-like viruses are probably not more evolutionarily separated from mononega-type viruses than picorna-type are from alpha-type +RNA viruses – and probably less so, if polymerase affinities are considered.

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