Comparative genome analysis reveals insights into the driving forces
behind Monkeypox virus evolution and sheds light on the active role of
trinucleotide motif ATC
Abstract
Monkeypox (MPOX) is a zoonotic disease with roots tracing back to
Western and Central Africa since its initial appearance in humans in
1970. However, the recent upsurge in MPXV outbreaks spanning over 100
nations has sparked substantial concern. In the present investigation,
we examine the relative abundance (RA) and relative density (RD) of
simple sequence repeats (SSRs) among the global collection of 404 MPOX
genomes. Our analysis brings to light substantial shifts in the RA and
RD of SSRs as they show transition across temporal spans, from ancient
to contemporary lineages. The majority of SSR variations were found in
Clades I, IIa, and IIb. Notably, each of the three clades exhibits
distinct SSR motifs that are unique to their respective clades.
Furthermore, our exploration identifies 26 conserved SSR regions
exclusive to MPXV that could be used as molecular or diagnostic markers,
and hold potential for vaccine development as well. Moreover, 10
variable SSR hotspot sites were discovered in nine genes with the
highest variation in the MPXV genome. Notably, these nine genes have
been found to be involved in surface protein synthesis and host
regulation, which may have implications for monkeypox pathogenesis and
evolution.