Analyses on mutation patterns, detection of population bottlenecks, and suggestion of deleterious-compensatory evolution among members of the genus Potyvirus

Viruses of the family Potyviridae exhibited a robust single-nucleotide polymorphism profile at the between-species level, conforming to the neutral theory rule. However, the ratios of nonsynonymous to synonymous mutations (Ka/Ks) were relatively greater between-species than within-species in viral cistrons examined from members of the genus Potyvirus, indicating a relaxation on constraint. Judged by the McDonald and Kreitman’s test, the fixation frequencies for nonsynonymous mutations across the genomes of closely related potyviruses were greater than expected, suggesting population bottlenecks at speciation. These mutation patterns are best explained by a deleterious-compensatory model.