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International Study Led by German Cancer Research Center Reveals Significant Findings
An international team of researchers has discovered a concerning number of previously unknown viruses that could potentially trigger major epidemics, much like the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. These findings, led by virologists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), suggest that the genetic material exchange between different virus species can create new pathogens with significantly altered and potentially more threatening characteristics.
“Using a new computer-assisted analysis method, we discovered 40 previously unknown nidoviruses in various vertebrates from fish to rodents, including 13 coronaviruses,” reported DKFZ group leader Stefan Seitz. This groundbreaking study, which included Chris Lauber’s team from the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Hanover, involved sifting through nearly 300,000 data sets with the help of high-performance computers. Seitz emphasized that the ability to analyze such vast amounts of data opens up unprecedented perspectives in virus research.
A Quantum Leap in Virus Research
Virus research is still in its early stages, with only a fraction of all existing viruses identified, especially those that cause diseases in humans, domestic animals, and crops. The new method promises a significant leap in understanding the natural virus reservoir. By sending genetic data from vertebrates stored in scientific databases through high-performance computers, the researchers searched for virus-infected animals to study viral genetic material on a large scale. The primary focus was on nidoviruses, which include the coronavirus family.
Discovery and Genetic Exchange in Nidoviruses
Nidoviruses, characterized by their RNA genetic material, are widespread among vertebrates. This diverse group of viruses shares common traits that distinguish them from other RNA viruses. However, nidoviruses also exhibit significant differences, such as genome size. One particularly interesting discovery pertains to the genetic recombination that can occur in host animals simultaneously infected with different viruses.
“Apparently, the nidoviruses we discovered in fish frequently exchange genetic material between different virus species, even across family boundaries,” said Stefan Seitz. This genetic exchange, when occurring among distant virus relatives, can result in viruses with completely new properties. Such evolutionary leaps can influence the viruses’ aggressiveness, dangerousness, and host specificity.
Seitz explained that similar genetic exchanges likely occur in mammalian viruses. Bats, often infected with numerous viruses, are considered a melting pot for viral recombination. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is believed to have developed in bats before jumping to humans.
Implications for Public Health and Cancer Research
Chris Lauber, the study’s first author, demonstrated through family tree analyses that gene exchange among nidoviruses often alters the spike protein used to dock onto host cells. Modifications to this anchor molecule can significantly change viral properties, increasing infectiousness or enabling host switching. Such changes, especially from animals to humans, can facilitate virus spread, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Viral “game changers” can emerge at any time, posing massive threats and potentially triggering pandemics from a single double-infected host animal.
The new high-performance computer process could aid in preventing the spread of new viruses by enabling a systematic search for potentially dangerous variants. Stefan Seitz also sees important applications in his field of research, virus-associated carcinogenesis. He suggested that the new High Performance Computing (HPC) method could be used to systematically examine cancer patients or immunocompromised individuals for undetected viruses that increase the risk of malignant tumors.
Reference
The findings were detailed in the study “Deep mining of the Sequence Read Archive reveals major genetic innovations in coronaviruses and other nidoviruses of aquatic vertebrates” by Chris Lauber, Xiaoyu Zhang, Josef Vaas, Franziska Klingler, Pascal Mutz, Arseny Dubin, Thomas Pietschmann, Olivia Roth, Benjamin W. Neuman, Alexander E. Gorbalenya, Ralf Bartenschlager, and Stefan Seitz, published on April 22, 2024, in PLOS Pathogens.
