Evolutionary Dynamics of Codon Usage Bias in Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus: Insights into Viral Adaptation and Host Interactions
Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), belonging to the genus <i>Orthotospovirus</i>, is a significant pathogen through its infection of economically vital crops including tomato, tobacco, pepper, and other species worldwide. Given its substantial influence on the agricultural industry, in-de...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/7/721 |
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| Summary: | Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), belonging to the genus <i>Orthotospovirus</i>, is a significant pathogen through its infection of economically vital crops including tomato, tobacco, pepper, and other species worldwide. Given its substantial influence on the agricultural industry, in-depth research on TSWV is of great necessity. Several studies have been conducted on the dinucleotide preference of TSWV previously; however, the information regarding codon usage bias (CUB) and the virus’s adaptive evolution remains inconclusive. Here, a thorough analysis of TSWV was performed by utilizing five protein-coding sequences in order to investigate the characteristics of CUB. It has been observed that the TSWV protein-coding sequences are AU-rich, and codons ending with A or U are also preferred in these sequences. A consistently stable and preserved genomic composition characterized by a lower codon usage preference was also observed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), neutrality analysis, and ENC-plot indicated that, in comparison to mutational pressure, natural selection has a more dominant influence on the CUB of TSWV. The codon adaptation index (CAI) demonstrated a more significant correlation between TSWV and <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>. Meanwhile, the relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI) indicated a stronger correlation between TSWV and <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>. This study is the first to systematically characterize the CUB of TSWV based on its protein-coding sequences, providing critical insights into viral genetic diversity, evolution mechanisms, and host adaptation. The findings advance understanding of plant-virus coevolution and inform virus-resistant crop breeding and antiviral strategies. |
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| ISSN: | 2311-7524 |