Characterisation of the faecal virome of captive and wild Tasmanian devils using virus-like particles metagenomics and meta-transcriptomics

Rowena Chong; Mang Shi; Catherine E Grueber; Edward C Holmes; Carolyn Hogg; Katherine Belov; Vanessa R Barrs

the 525 need for VLP enrichment and additional sample processing, the likelihood of biased detection is 526 plausibly reduced in meta-transcriptomics. In this study, the proportions of viral reads 527 sequenced by meta-transcriptomics were less than 2% per library, but the numbers of viral 528 groups detected were significantly higher than those detected in VLP metagenomics, which 529 included both RNA and DNA viruses. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It . https://doi.org/10.1101/443457 doi: bioRxiv preprint 25 metagenomics or PCR in any of the wild devil samples that tested positive for RHDV, we did 576 detect rabbit mtDNA in the stools of one captive devil from zoo A that tested positive for RHDV 577 by PCR. Thus, more specific diagnostic techniques such as targeted PCR of blood or internal 578 tissues (i.e. liver), in situ hybridization and serological assays are required to determine whether 579 these viruses can actively replicate in devils and cause disease or are simply gut contaminants. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. A s t r a i n -s p e c i f i c 766 m u l t i p l e x R T -P C R f o r A u s t r a l i a n r a b b i t h a e m o r r h a g i c d i s e a s e v i r u s e s u n c o v e r s a n e The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. It . https://doi.org/10.1101/443457 doi: bioRxiv preprint The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not peer-reviewed) is the author/funder.