The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses
The platypus (<i>Ornithorhynchus anatinus</i>), a unique monotreme, represents a pivotal point in mammalian evolution with its distinctive traits, such as electroreception and venom production. Despite its evolutionary significance, the viral diversity within platypuses remains poorly un...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Subir Sarker Saranika Talukder Ajani Athukorala Pam L. Whiteley |
| author_facet | Subir Sarker Saranika Talukder Ajani Athukorala Pam L. Whiteley |
| author_sort | Subir Sarker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The platypus (<i>Ornithorhynchus anatinus</i>), a unique monotreme, represents a pivotal point in mammalian evolution with its distinctive traits, such as electroreception and venom production. Despite its evolutionary significance, the viral diversity within platypuses remains poorly understood. This study employed next-generation sequencing to investigate the virome of the dead platypuses, uncovering a range of novel and divergent viruses. Among the identified viruses were four complete genomes of papillomaviruses (OaPV1–4) exhibiting substantial divergence from known strains, suggesting a novel genus within the subfamily <i>Secondpapillomavirinae</i>. Additionally, five novel parvoviruses were detected, including two with complete genomes, highlighting the complex viral ecosystem of the platypus. Phylogenetic analysis placed these viruses in unique evolutionary branches, further demonstrating the platypus’s evolutionary significance. A circular DNA virus, a tombus-like virus, and a nodamuvirus were also identified, expanding the understanding of viral diversity in monotremes. These findings offer crucial insights into viral evolution in one of the most unique mammalian lineages, emphasising the need for further exploration to assess ecological and pathological impacts on platypus populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9d5bc5c78a1147b3b56d24cdf4e75278 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-9d5bc5c78a1147b3b56d24cdf4e752782025-08-20T02:04:05ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-01-0117217610.3390/v17020176The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse PapillomavirusesSubir Sarker0Saranika Talukder1Ajani Athukorala2Pam L. Whiteley3Biomedical Sciences & Molecular Biology, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, AustraliaDepartment of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, AustraliaMelbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, AustraliaThe platypus (<i>Ornithorhynchus anatinus</i>), a unique monotreme, represents a pivotal point in mammalian evolution with its distinctive traits, such as electroreception and venom production. Despite its evolutionary significance, the viral diversity within platypuses remains poorly understood. This study employed next-generation sequencing to investigate the virome of the dead platypuses, uncovering a range of novel and divergent viruses. Among the identified viruses were four complete genomes of papillomaviruses (OaPV1–4) exhibiting substantial divergence from known strains, suggesting a novel genus within the subfamily <i>Secondpapillomavirinae</i>. Additionally, five novel parvoviruses were detected, including two with complete genomes, highlighting the complex viral ecosystem of the platypus. Phylogenetic analysis placed these viruses in unique evolutionary branches, further demonstrating the platypus’s evolutionary significance. A circular DNA virus, a tombus-like virus, and a nodamuvirus were also identified, expanding the understanding of viral diversity in monotremes. These findings offer crucial insights into viral evolution in one of the most unique mammalian lineages, emphasising the need for further exploration to assess ecological and pathological impacts on platypus populations.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/2/176monotremeplatypusviromemetagenomicsphylogenetics |
| spellingShingle | Subir Sarker Saranika Talukder Ajani Athukorala Pam L. Whiteley The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses Viruses monotreme platypus virome metagenomics phylogenetics |
| title | The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses |
| title_full | The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses |
| title_fullStr | The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses |
| title_short | The Spleen Virome of Australia’s Endemic Platypus Is Dominated by Highly Diverse Papillomaviruses |
| title_sort | spleen virome of australia s endemic platypus is dominated by highly diverse papillomaviruses |
| topic | monotreme platypus virome metagenomics phylogenetics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/2/176 |
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