ArticleTrends in microbiology2003
Error thresholds and the constraints to RNA virus evolution.
Article in Trends in microbiology, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 157 papers.
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Who cites it
157 citing papers in PubMed.
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- Integrating rna structure and protein interactions to uncover the mechanisms of viral and cellular ires function.Biology direct · 2025Article
- The IFIT2-IFIT3 antiviral complex targets short 5' untranslated regions on viral mRNAs for translation inhibition.Nature microbiology · 2025Article
- The role of plasmid copy number and mutation rate in evolutionary outcomes.Nature ecology & evolution · 2025Article
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- Structural and Phylogenetic Analysis on the Proofreading Activity of SARS-CoV-2.Current microbiology · 2025Article
- Analysis of NS2-dependent effects on influenza PB1 segment extends replication requirements beyond the canonical promoter.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Giant RNA genomes: Roles of host, translation elongation, genome architecture, and proteome in nidoviruses.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Short 5' UTRs serve as a marker for viral mRNA translation inhibition by the IFIT2-IFIT3 antiviral complex.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- SARS-CoV-2 drug resistance and therapeutic approaches.Heliyon · 2025Review
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model bacterium in antiphage defense research.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- Genome sizes of animal RNA viruses reflect phylogenetic constraints.Virus evolution · 2025Article
- Spillover: Mechanisms, Genetic Barriers, and the Role of Reservoirs in Emerging Pathogens.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Unchecked growth: Pushing the limits on RNA virus genome size in the absence of known proofreading.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- A ~40-kb flavi-like virus does not encode a known error-correcting mechanism.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- RNA three-dimensional structure drives the sequence organization of potato spindle tuber viroid quasispecies.PLoS pathogens · 2024Article
- Cell-cell communication and initial population composition shape the structure of potato spindle tuber viroid quasispecies.The Plant cell · 2024Article
- Recurrent viral capture of cellular phosphodiesterases that antagonize OAS-RNase L.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024Article
- Temporal and coevolutionary analyses reveal the events driving the emergence and circulation of human mamastroviruses.Emerging microbes & infections · 2023Article
97 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
RNA viruses are often thought of as possessing almost limitless adaptability as a result of their extreme mutation rates. However, high mutation rates also put a cap on the size of the viral genome by establishing an error threshold, beyond which lethal numbers of deleterious mutations accumulate. Herein, I argue that a lack of genomic space means that RNA viruses will be subject to important evolutionary constraints because specific sequences are required to encode multiple and often conflicting functions. Empirical evidence for these constraints, and how they limit viral adaptability, is now beginning to accumulate. Documenting the constraints to RNA virus evolution has important implications for predicting the emergence of new viruses and for improving therapeutic procedures.
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