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Bioe 109 Evolution Summer 2009 Lecture 1: Part II Evolution in action: the HIV virus. Class website: http://bio.classes.ucsc.edu/bioe109/ “Understanding Evolution” (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/) Check out this website—very informative and useful!.
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Bioe 109 Evolution Summer 2009 Lecture 1: Part II Evolution in action: the HIV virus
Class website:http://bio.classes.ucsc.edu/bioe109/ “Understanding Evolution” (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/) Check out this website—very informative and useful!
Some of the worst epidemics in • human history • Influenza (1918) 50-100 million deaths worldwide • Black death (1347-1352) ~100 million deaths worldwide • New world small pox (~1520) • Plague • Malaria, TB, Cholera, Polio, SARS, bird flu • and the latest H1N1 flu (???) • AIDS (1981-to date) ~25 million deaths so far and • counting……...
HIV: a case study • What is HIV? • Why does HIV kill people? • Why did early AIDS treatments proved ineffective in the • long run? • Why are some people resistant to becoming infected or • to progress to disease once they are infected? • Where did HIV come from?
Nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution!
Nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution! Theodoseus Dobzhansky (1973)
What is HIV? • HIV is a retrovirus (i.e., RNA-based) with 9 genes
What is HIV? • HIV is a retrovirus (i.e., RNA-based) with 9 genes • is diploid (i.e., has 2 copies of each RNA strand)
Q: How does HIV cause AIDS? A: By attacking a key player in our immune system – CD4 helper T-cells.
Q: How does HIV cause AIDS? A: By attacking a key player in our immune system – CD4 helper T-cells. Infect CD4 helper T cells Destruction of infected cells Immune system is weakened Secondary infections Death Battle plan!
How does this lead to epidemic? 1. Infect host 2. Reproduce within host 3. Infect new host
Natural selection, AZT, and the HIV virus • What is AZT?
Natural selection, AZT, and the HIV virus • What is AZT? • AZT (azidothymidine) is a base analogue.
Natural selection, AZT, and the HIV virus • What is AZT? • AZT (azidothymidine) is a base analogue. • Incorporation of AZT (instead of T) by reverse transcriptase halts replication.
How does natural selection work? 1. Variation is present or “generated” in population
How does natural selection work? 1. Variation is present or “generated” in population 2. Variation is heritable
How does natural selection work? 1. Variation is present or “generated” in population 2. Variation is heritable 3. Some individuals are better at surviving and/or reproducing under given selective pressure
How does natural selection work? 1. Variation is present or “generated” in population 2. Variation is heritable 3. Some individuals are better at surviving and/or reproducing under given selective pressure 4. Genetic composition of the population changes over time.
How does natural selection work? 1. Variation is present or “generated” in population 2. Variation is heritable 3. Some individuals are better at surviving and/or reproducing under given selective pressure 4. Genetic composition of the population changes over time. This is the process of adaptation by natural selection!
There is no purpose or final goal that evolution is trying to achieve!
Q. Why HIV is fatal? A. “short-sightedness” of evolution
Why HIV is fatal? • By changing epitopes rapidly, the virus evades host • immune system. • Can evolve aggressive replication • Can evolve to infect naïve T cells accelerating the • collapse of host immune system
What about less harmful strains? - e.g. Sydney blood bank cohort
What about less harmful strains? • e.g. Sydney blood bank cohort • Lower viral loads in body fluids • - Lower chance of getting into another host
What about less harmful strains? • e.g. Sydney blood bank cohort • Lower viral loads in body fluids • Lower chance of getting into another host • They are rare!
Resistance to AZT has evolved in all patients taking the drug (usually in ~6 months)! • This is an example of parallel evolution.
How does HIV evolve so rapidly? 1. High mutation rate • HIV’s mutation rate is 106 higher than ours!
How does HIV evolve so rapidly? 1. High mutation rate • HIV’s mutation rate is 106 higher than ours! 2. Short generation time • 1 year 300 viral generations.
How does HIV evolve so rapidly? 1. High mutation rate • HIV’s mutation rate is 106 higher than ours! 2. Short generation time • 1 year 300 viral generations. 10 years of viral 2-3 x 106 years of evolution human evolution!