Review
Nature Reviews Genetics 9, 267-276 (April 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrg2323
Rates of evolutionary change in viruses: patterns and determinants
Siobain Duffy1, Laura A. Shackelton1 & Edward C. Holmes1,2 About the authors
Abstract
Understanding the factors that determine the rate at which genomes generate and fix mutations provides important insights into key evolutionary mechanisms. We review our current knowledge of the rates of mutation and substitution, as well as their determinants, in RNA viruses, DNA viruses and retroviruses. We show that the high rate of nucleotide substitution in RNA viruses is matched by some DNA viruses, suggesting that evolutionary rates in viruses are explained by diverse aspects of viral biology, such as genomic architecture and replication speed, and not simply by polymerase fidelity.
- View At a Glance
Author affiliations
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Correspondence to: Edward C. Holmes1,2 Email: ech15@psu.edu
Published online 4 March 2008
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Structural insight into insect virusesNature Structural Biology News and Views (01 Aug 1999)
Evolving DarwinismNature News and Views (17 Aug 1995)
RESEARCH
The mechanisms of acute ischemic injury in the cell processes of developing white matter astrocytesJournal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism Original Article
Is the nitric oxide system involved in genetic hypertension in Dahl rats?Kidney International Original Article
See all 5 matches for Research
