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Selection of Generalists and Specialists in Viral Quasispecies

Smith, Sarah D.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1224018547

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS), University of Toledo, College of Graduate Studies.
RNA viruses, such as HIV, influenza, and hepatitis viruses, are major sources ofhuman infection and disease. Although vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is not a major human pathogen, it serves as an excellent model for RNA virus evolution. In this work, I used VSV to test two predictions of ecological theory that are relevant to speciation. The first prediction is that viruses replicating in homogeneous environments will become specialists as a result of fitness tradeoffs or costs due to differences in fitness landscapes, while viruses that replicate in heterogeneous environments will become generalists. Results show one example of fitness trade-off and two examples of costs associated with fitness landscapes. In contrast to previous works and predictions from ecological theory, results did not show frequent fitness trade-offs. The second prediction is that phenotypic variance in generalist populations will be higher than phenotypic variance in specialist populations. Once again, the prediction was incorrect, and there was no correlation between the history or behavior of a population and it level of variation. However, populations adapting under high-MOI conditions did result in a substantial increase in variance, probably due to the ability of complementation to preserve variation.
Isabel Novella, PhD (Committee Chair)
R. Mark Wooten, PhD (Committee Member)
Nancy H. Collins, PhD (Committee Member)
70 p.
Virology
evolution; population genetics; VSV; population variance; quasispecies

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, S. D. (2008). Selection of Generalists and Specialists in Viral Quasispecies [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1224018547

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Sarah. Selection of Generalists and Specialists in Viral Quasispecies. 2008. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1224018547.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Sarah. "Selection of Generalists and Specialists in Viral Quasispecies." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1224018547

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

mco1224018547
561
© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo Health Science Campus and OhioLINK.