Phylogenetic Analysis of Viral Quasispecies (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9783836434584)

A new approach in the analysis of viral evolution is presented in this book, an approach that merges Phylogenetic analysis and Bioinformatic techniques. Patterns of viral evolution are inferred from serially-sampled sequence data, i.e., sequence data obtained from strains isolated at consecutive time points from a single patient or host. Traditional phylogenetic methods assume a tree-like evolutionary model, while many RNA viruses have the capacity to exchange genetic material with one another using a process called re-combination. A genealogy involving recombination is best described by a net-work structure. A more general approach was implemented in a new compu-tational tool, Sliding MinPD, one that is mindful of the sampling times of the input sequences and that reconstructs the viral evolutionary relationships in the form of a network structure with implicit representations of recombi-nation events. The underlying network organization reveals unique patterns of viral evolution and could help explain the emergence of disease-associated mutants and drug-resistant strains, with implications for patient prognosis and treatment strategies.

Author: Patricia Buendia
ISBN-10: 383643458X
ISBN-13: 9783836434584
Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K.
Language: English
Published: 01/07/2008
Pages: 212
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.76lbs
Size: 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.45d