
An overlooked aspect of current microbiome studies is the role of viruses in human health. Compared to bacterial studies, laboratory and analytical methods to study the entirety of viral communities in clinical samples are rudimentary and need further refinement. In order to address this need, we developed Virobiome-Seq, a sequence capture method and an accompanying bioinformatics analysis pipeline, that identifies viral reads in human samples. Virobiome-Seq is able to enrich for and detect multiple types of viruses in human samples, including novel subtypes that diverge at the sequence level. In addition, Virobiome-Seq is able to detect RNA transcripts from DNA viruses and may provide a sensitive method for detecting viral activity in vivo. Since Virobiome-Seq also yields the viral sequence, it makes it possible to investigate associations between viral genotype and psychiatric illness. In this proof of concept study, we detected HIV1, Torque Teno, Pegi, Herpes and Papilloma virus sequences in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, plasma and stool samples collected from individuals with psychiatric disorders. We also detected the presence of numerous novel circular RNA viruses but were unable to determine whether these viruses originate from the sample or represent contaminants. Despite this challenge, we demonstrate that our knowledge of viral diversity is incomplete and opportunities for novel virus discovery exist. Virobiome-Seq will enable a more sophisticated analysis of the virome and has the potential of uncovering complex interactions between viral activity and psychiatric disease.
Sequence capture, TRANSMISSION, Mood disorder, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, Neurology and psychiatry, Next generation sequencing, SCHIZOPHRENIA, INFECTION, Humans, EXPOSURE, EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS, 11832 Microbiology and virology, Virome, Mental Disorders, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, BIPOLAR DISORDER, ASSOCIATION, INDIVIDUALS, MICROBIOME, Viruses, Schizophrenia, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Microbiome
Sequence capture, TRANSMISSION, Mood disorder, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, Neurology and psychiatry, Next generation sequencing, SCHIZOPHRENIA, INFECTION, Humans, EXPOSURE, EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS, 11832 Microbiology and virology, Virome, Mental Disorders, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, BIPOLAR DISORDER, ASSOCIATION, INDIVIDUALS, MICROBIOME, Viruses, Schizophrenia, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Microbiome
| citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 9 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
