Coevolutionary Analysis Implicates Toll-Like Receptor 9 in Papillomavirus Restriction
Kelly M. King, Brendan B. Larsen, Sophie Gryseels, Cécile Richet, Simona Kraberger, Robert Jackson, Michael Worobey, Joseph S. Harrison, Arvind Varsani, Koenraad Van Doorslaer
Abstract
Viruses must avoid detection by the innate immune system. In this study, we characterized two new papillomaviruses from bats and used molecular archeology to demonstrate that their genomes altered their nucleotide compositions to avoid detection by TLR9, providing evidence that TLR9 acts as a PRR during papillomavirus infection. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TLR9, like other components of the innate immune system, is under evolutionary selection in bats, providing the first direct evidence for coevolution between papillomaviruses and their hosts.
Topics & Concepts
Innate immune systemTLR9BiologyToll-Like Receptor 9GenomePattern recognition receptorEndosomeVirologyVirusImmune systemCapsidCell biologyGeneReceptorGeneticsGene expressionDNA methylationImmune Response and InflammationCervical Cancer and HPV Researchinterferon and immune responses