Pathogens were a major driver of genetic adaptation during human evolution. Viruses in
particular were a dominant driver of adaptation in the thousands of proteins that physically …

Adaptive evolution often involves fast-evolving proteins, and the fastest-evolving proteins in
primates include antiviral proteins engaged in an arms race with viruses-. Even though fast …

Viruses interact with hundreds to thousands of proteins in mammals, yet adaptation against
viruses has only been studied in a few proteins specialized in antiviral defense. Whether …

Understanding the factors that shape viral evolution is critical for developing effective
antiviral strategies, accurately predicting viral evolution, and preventing pandemics. One …

Through antigenic evolution, viruses such as seasonal influenza evade recognition by
neutralizing antibodies. This means that a person with antibodies well tuned to an initial …

Through antigenic evolution, viruses like seasonal influenza evade recognition by
neutralizing antibodies elicited by previous infection or vaccination. This means that a …

Viral receptors are the cell surface proteins that are hijacked by viruses to initialize their
infections. Viral receptors are subject to two conflicting directional forces, namely, negative …

Predicting and constraining RNA virus evolution require understanding the molecular factors
that define the mutational landscape accessible to these pathogens. RNA viruses typically …

Understanding how the genome of a virus evolves depending on the host it infects is an
important question that challenges our knowledge about several mechanisms of host …

Viruses are highly evolvable, but what traits endow this property? The high mutation rates of
viruses certainly play a role, but factors that act above the genetic code, like protein …