A comprehensive RNA virome from molluscan transcriptomes reveals extensive diversity and modular genome evolution
Jiaxiang Li, Kewei Chen, Xin Chen, Kaiyang Zheng, Shujuan Sun, Hao Yu, Yue Dong, Ziyue Wang, Yixuan Xu, Andrew McMinn, Yeong Yik Sung, Wen Jye Mok, Li Lian Wong, Yantao Liang, Min Wang · 2026
Read A comprehensive RNA virome from molluscan transcriptomes reveals extensive diversity and modular genome evolution by Jiaxiang Li, Kewei Chen, Xin Chen, Kaiyang Zheng, Shujuan Sun, Hao Yu, Yue Dong, Ziyue Wang, Yixuan Xu, Andrew McMinn, Yeong Yik Sung, Wen Jye Mok, Li Lian Wong, Yantao Liang, Min Wang (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13469297.txt.
Description
Jiaxiang Li and colleagues surveyed RNA viruses in 2026 across molluscs, the second-largest animal phylum and a major food source. DNA viruses of farmed molluscs drew attention, but RNA viromes stayed understudied. A multi-stage discovery pipeline over 223 molluscan metatranscriptomes from eight classes found 203 RNA viruses across five phyla and fifteen orders.
Pisuviricota lineages expanded sharply, and viral genomes showed extensive modular evolution, including gene shuffling and joint capsid-polymerase evolution. Host prediction tied 76% of viruses to diverse eukaryotes, suggesting molluscs harbour viruses that infect many hosts. The catalogue widens the known RNA virus world and flags molluscs as a reservoir worth watching for aquaculture and spillover.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Jiaxiang Li, Kewei Chen, Xin Chen, Kaiyang Zheng, Shujuan Sun, Hao Yu, Yue Dong, Ziyue Wang, Yixuan Xu, Andrew McMinn, Yeong Yik Sung, Wen Jye Mok, Li Lian Wong, Yantao Liang, Min Wang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 40 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |