Interesting paper. Our earlier analysis of the photolyase (PL) phylogeny VERY strongly suggested all poxvirus PL's are monophyletic, with a common origin that predates the divergence of their disparate hosts. If horizontal transfer were operational one might predict entomopoxvirus PL's to more closely resemble insect PL's and chordopoxvirus PL's to resemble chordate PL's. That's not seen.
Curious problem.
The reference is Bennett et al. (2003) Virology 315: 10-19.
Photolyase phylogeny
11 March 2008
Interesting paper. Our earlier analysis of the photolyase (PL) phylogeny VERY strongly suggested all poxvirus PL's are monophyletic, with a common origin that predates the divergence of their disparate hosts. If horizontal transfer were operational one might predict entomopoxvirus PL's to more closely resemble insect PL's and chordopoxvirus PL's to resemble chordate PL's. That's not seen.
Curious problem.
The reference is Bennett et al. (2003) Virology 315: 10-19.
David Evans
Competing interests
None.