Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses mutate and evolve at similar rates to RNA viruses, and more rapidly than double-stranded DNA viruses. Unlike RNA viruses, the mechanism underlying these rates is unknown. When unpaired in ssDNA, cytosine is inherently unstable, readily deaminating to uracil. These spontaneous events result in cytosine-to-thymine substitutions, and may explain the high mutation and evolution rates of ssDNA viruses. We examined the codon usage bias of ssDNA bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses, and found that ssDNA viruses consistently overuse thymine at synonymous sites, regardless of the codon preferences of their hosts. This finding is consistent with a persistent cytosine-to-thymine mutation pressure. We further utilized bottleneck passaging to characterize the mutation spectrum of phiX174, a ssDNA bacteriophage, though we were unable to observe mutational bias. Finally, we treated populations of phiX174 with sodium bisulfite, a cytosine-specific deaminating agent, to induce lethal mutagenesis by elevating the mutation rate of cytosine. We were able to successfully drive these populations to extinction, and lethal mutagenesis is the most likely explanation for these observations.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_6648
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (vi, 140 p. : ill.)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
DNA viruses
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Daniel Stern Cardinale
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore19991600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.