Unveiling bat-borne viruses: a comprehensive classification and analysis of virome evolution

作者：Yuyang Wang, Panpan Xu, Yelin Han, Wenliang Zhao, Lamei Zhao, Rui Li, Junpeng Zhang, Shuyi Zhang, Jian Lu, Peter Daszak, Qi Jin, Zhìqiáng Wú · 发表于：Microbiome · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s40168-024-01955-1 · 被引用次数：23 · 研究领域：Rabies epidemiology and control、Virology and Viral Diseases、Bat Biology and Ecology Studies

BACKGROUND: Bats (Order Chiroptera) are an important reservoir of emerging zoonotic microbes, including viruses of public health concern such as henipaviruses, lyssaviruses, and SARS-related coronaviruses. Despite the continued discovery of new viruses in bat populations, a significant proportion of these viral agents remain uncharacterized, highlighting the imperative for additional research aimed at elucidating their evolutionary relationship and taxonomic classification. RESULTS: In order to delve deeper into the viral reservoir hosted by bats, the present study employed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze 13,105 swab samples obtained from various locations in China. Analysis of 378 sample pools revealed the presence of 846 vertebrate-associated viruses. Subsequent thorough examination, adhering to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) criteria for virus classification, identified a total of 120 putative viral species with the potential to emerge as novel viruses, comprising a total of 294 viral strains. Phylogenetic analysis of conserved genomic regions indicated the novel virus exhibited a diverse array of viral lineages and branches, some of which displayed close genetic relationships to known human and livestock pathogens, such as poxviruses and pestiviruses. CONCLUSIONS: This study investigates the breadth of DNA and RNA viruses harbored by bats, delineating several novel evolutionary lineages and offering significant contributio...