Viral metagenomic profiling of Croatian bat population reveals sample and habitat dependent diversity

Šimić, Ivana (author), Zorec, Tomaž Mark (author), Lojkić, Ivana (author), Krešić, Nina (author), Poljak, Mario (author), Cliquet, Florence (author), Picard-Meyer, Evelyne (author), Wasniewski, Marine (author), Zrnčić, Vida (author), Ćukušić, Anđela (author), Bedeković, Tomislav (author)

To date, the microbiome, as well as the virome of the Croatian populations of bats, was unknown. Here, we present the results of the first viral metagenomic analysis of guano, feces and saliva (oral swabs) of seven bat species (Myotis myotis, Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis blythii, Myotis nattereri and Myotis emarginatus) conducted in Mediterranean and continental Croatia. Viral nucleic acids were extracted from sample pools, and analyzed using Illumina sequencing. The presence of 63 different viral families representing all seven Baltimore groups were confirmed, most commonly insect viruses likely reflecting the diet of insectivorous bats. Virome compositions of our samples were largely impacted by the sample type: invertebrate-infecting viruses were most frequently found in feces, bacterial viruses in guano, whereas vertebrate-infecting viruses were most common in swabs. Most vertebrate-infecting virus sequences were assigned to retroviruses, parvoviruses, iridoviruses, and poxviruses. We further report the complete genome sequence of a novel adeno-associated virus, densovirus and a near complete length genome sequence of a novel iflavirus. Additionally, one of the most interesting findings in this study was the difference in viromes between two contrasting habitats, the continental and Mediterranean Croatia.

• Language: English
• Keywords: bats, viral metagenomics, Croatia, virus, diversity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 24 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 8, art. 891
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134307
• UDC: 616.9
• ISSN on article: 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v12080891
• COBISS.SI-ID: 26085379
• Publication date in RUL: 05.01.2022

ŠIMIĆ, Ivana, ZOREC, Tomaž Mark, LOJKIĆ, Ivana, KREŠIĆ, Nina, POLJAK, Mario, CLIQUET, Florence, PICARD-MEYER, Evelyne, WASNIEWSKI, Marine, ZRNČIĆ, Vida, ĆUKUŠIĆ, Anđela and BEDEKOVIĆ, Tomislav, 2020, Viral metagenomic profiling of Croatian bat population reveals sample and habitat dependent diversity. Viruses [online]. 2020. Vol. 12, no. 8,  891. [Accessed 26 April 2025]. DOI 10.3390/v12080891. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=134307

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Viruses
• Shortened title: Viruses
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4915
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517597977

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 14.08.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: netopirji, metagenomija virusov, Hrvaška

Projects

• Funder: HRZZ - Croatian Science Foundation
• Project number: 8513
• Name: BatsRabTrack

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0083
• Name: Odnosi parazitskega obstajanja