The genome of a Mesozoic paleovirus reveals the evolution of hepatitis B viruses

Alexander Suh (), Jürgen Brosius, Jürgen Schmitz and Jan Ole Kriegs
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Alexander Suh: Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster
Jürgen Brosius: Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster
Jürgen Schmitz: Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster
Jan Ole Kriegs: Institute of Experimental Pathology (ZMBE), University of Münster

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Paleovirology involves the identification of ancient endogenous viral elements within eukaryotic genomes. The evolutionary origins of the reverse-transcribing hepatitis B viruses, however, remain elusive, due to the small number of endogenized sequences present in host genomes. Here we report a comprehensively dated genomic record of hepatitis B virus endogenizations that spans bird evolution from >82 to 63 million years older than previously known and provide direct evidence for coexistence of hepatitis B viruses and birds during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras. Finally, phylogenetic analyses and distribution of hepatitis B virus relics suggest that birds potentially are the ancestral hosts of Hepadnaviridae and mammalian hepatitis B viruses probably emerged after a bird–mammal host switch. Our study reveals previously undiscovered and multi-faceted insights into prehistoric hepatitis B virus evolution and provides valuable resources for future studies, such as in-vitro resurrection of Mesozoic hepadnaviruses.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2798

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