Evolutionary Insight into the Association between New Jersey Polyomavirus and Humans
Aref-Abdolllah Aghebatrafat,
Chris Lauber,
Kevin Merkel,
Barbara Fruth,
Kevin Langergraber,
Martha M. Robbins,
Roman M. Wittig,
Fabian H. Leendertz,
Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer
Affiliations
Aref-Abdolllah Aghebatrafat
Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Chris Lauber
Institute for Experimental Virology, TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between Medical School Hannover (MHH) and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 30625 Hannover, Germany
Kevin Merkel
Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Barbara Fruth
Max-Planck-Institute of Animal Behavior, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
Kevin Langergraber
School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
Martha M. Robbins
Departement of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Roman M. Wittig
Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan 1303, Côte d’Ivoire
Fabian H. Leendertz
Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer
Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch Institute, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Advances in viral discovery techniques have led to the identification of numerous novel viruses in human samples. However, the low prevalence of certain viruses in humans raises doubts about their association with our species. To ascertain the authenticity of a virus as a genuine human-infecting agent, it can be useful to investigate the diversification of its lineage within hominines, the group encompassing humans and African great apes. Building upon this rationale, we examined the case of the New Jersey polyomavirus (NJPyV; Alphapolyomavirus terdecihominis), which has only been detected in a single patient thus far. In this study, we obtained and analyzed sequences from closely related viruses infecting all African great ape species. We show that NJPyV nests within the diversity of these viruses and that its lineage placement is compatible with an ancient origin in humans, despite its apparent rarity in human populations.
