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A Bayesian statistical analysis of HTLV-II evolutionary rates in intravenous drug users compared to endemically infected tribes [electronic resource] / Justin Sloane

Author:
Sloane, Justin
Additional Titles:
HTLV-II evolutionary rates in intravenous drug users compared to endemically infected tribes
Published:
[University Park, Pa.] : Pennsylvania State University, 2010.
Physical Description:
1 electronic document (18 pages)
Additional Creators:
Shapiro, Beth and Schreyer Honors College
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Summary:
Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type II (HTLV-II) is a retrovirus that has shown high genetic stability, and low sequence diversity. This low diversity is thought to arise from HTLV-II’s mechanism of replication. HTLV-II is present in Europe and the Americans mainly among Intravenous drugs users (IDUs) and has been show to be endemic in a number of South American and African tribes. Within the former, needle sharing has been identified as the main mechanism of transmission (horizontal transmission), whereas in the latter, the virus is transmitted from mother to child via breast milk (vertical transmission). Previous authors have identified different rates of HTLV-II evolutionin viruses transferred among IDUs and viruses transferred between mother and child in endemically infected tribes. Here, we test whether HTLV-II evolution is dependent on mechanism of transmission. Using updated global HTLV-II sequences and a flexible Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) coalescent approach, our results show clearly, in contrast to published data, that HTLV-II evolves at a constant rate, regardless of mechanism of transmission.
Other Subject(s):
Dissertation Note:
B.S. Pennsylvania State University 2010.
B.A. Pennsylvania State University 2010.
Note:
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Thesis supervisor: Beth Shapiro.
Reproduction Note:
Library holds archival microfiche negative and service copy. 1 fiche. (PSU Management Services, 2010).
Technical Details:
The full text of the dissertation is available as a Adobe Acrobat .pdf file ; Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view the file.
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