New bat genome and immunity

Cell 173, 1098–1110 (2018)

The Egyptian rousette (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is the only known reservoir for Marburg virus, a lethal filovirus that results in hemorrhagic fever. This bat’s genome was just analyzed using a combination of short and long reads to provide a 169x coverage, with an estimated size of 2 Gb. Analysis of the sequence revealed that loci associated with immunity were increased in comparison to other mammals, including: histocompatibility complex I loci, natural killer cell receptors, and interferons. Furthermore, the data point towards a more nuanced response to viral infections in bats. Other studies suggest that bat species’ broad resistance to human viruses is possibly the result of a strong innate immune response. However, this work indicates that elevated tolerance of infection with reduced inflammatory responses is more likely the source, at least in the Egyptian rousette.