Comparative phylogenetic analysis of individual structural Envelope (E) gene sequences insight of molecular evolution of Zika Virus

Author(s) : Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Ali Khan, Nelofer Jamil, Zainia Rehmat, Musarat Riaz, Sahar Munir & Muhammad Asif

Abstract:

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52587/njmhs.v5i1.61

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) with Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. ZIKV was originated in Africa, but it has become a substantial community health concern. The genus is associated to mosquito or tick-borne viruses of public health interest especially Yellow Fever Virus (YFV), Dengue Virus serotype 1-4 (DENV 1-4), and West Nile virus (WNV). A comparative analysis based on individual structural envelope (E) gene phylogenies is performed to identify the genetic variation and evolutionary configuration.
Material and Methods:
Molecular evolutionary analyses of zika virus (ZIKV) isolates across the globe were conducted to infer phylogenetic relationships. Twenty-one full genome sequences and one Spondweni virus were downloaded from NCBI GenBank. The evolutionary distances of the sequences were determined by means of three“Neighbor-joining (NJ), Maximum-likelihood (ML), and Maximum-parsimony (MP) methods.”
Results:
Phylogenetic-constructed trees based on the individual envelope (E) nucleotide along with the sequences of amino acid showed that the globally diverse zika virus (ZIKV) strains belong to the two main lineages which suggested genetic intimacy. The evolutionary history of the E-gene of zika virus (ZIKV) represents a most existing common ancestor observed at the tips of the tree. The topology of the NJ-based phylogeny differed from ML and MP analysis of structural envelop (E) nucleotide gene as supported by strong bootstrap. While the key difference was noted such as the Nigerian strain swapped into the first main lineage in the ML-based amino acid tree. These findings recommend a considerable discrepancy in the evolutionary trajectory of the premeditated gene. Conclusion:
In light of the prospect investigation, we propose that evolutionary studies on zika virus (ZIKV) strains ought to be achieved on envelope (E) gene phylogenies. It is suggested that the differences in phylogenetic trees, especially the ML-based amino acid tree, emphasized distinct evolutionary trajectories, such as the unique positioning of the Nigerian strain.

Keywords: Envelope gene; phylogenetic; zika virus, West Nile virus, phylogenetic analysis