Viral mutation rates expressed as nucleotide substitutions per site per cell infection (s/n/c)

The fraction of indels (indels / total mutations) is also provided when available.

Data are taken from Sanjuán et al. 2010 J. Virol. 84: 9733-9748 [pdf].

Newer estimates (not appearing in the above paper) are indicated in green.

An overall assessment of the estimate reliability (+: reliable; - : poorly reliable) is also provided. However, this classification is difficult because of the many different methods and sources of error involved.

Details of each estimate can be obtained by clicking on the mutation rate values. Equations and Figures therein refer to the Sanjuán et al. 2010 J. Virol. 84: 9733-9748 paper.

The rightmost column contains references to the original publications.

- Mutational target size (T): total number of mutations observable in the experiment.

- Cell infection cycles (c): number of cell infection cycles elapsed during the experiment.

- Selection correction factor (a): used to remove selection bias from the estimate if possible/necessary.  The expression that links mutation rate (ms/n/c) to the observed mutation frequency (f) is ms/n/c= 3 f / (Tca). When all screened mutations were neutral a = 1; when all screened mutations were lethal  a = 1/c.

Click here to download the Table in plain text.

Group

Virus

Short name

Genome size (kb)

Mutation rate

Fraction of indels

Mutational target size

Cell infection cycles

Selection correction factor

Estimate relability

Original publications

 

Positive stranded RNA

Bacteriophage Qbeta

Qbeta

4.22

1.1E-03

-

1

1 to 10

-

-

Batschelet et al. 1976

 

Positive stranded RNA

Tobacco mosaic virus

TMV

6.4

8.7E-06

0.4

723

5.7

1

+

Malpica et al. 2002

 

Positive stranded RNA

Human rhinovirus 14

HRV-14

7.13

4.8E-04

-

-

-

-

-

Wang et al. 1998

 

Positive stranded RNA

Human rhinovirus 14

HRV-14 (ii)

7.13

1.0E-05

-

12

-

-

-

Heinz et al. 1989

 

Positive stranded RNA

Poliovirus 1

PV-1

7.44

2.2E-05

-

1

2.8 to 4.6

ca. 1

+

de la Torre et al. 1992

 

Positive stranded RNA

Poliovirus 1

PV-1 (ii)

7.44

1.1E-04

-

4

2.1

-

+

de la Torre et al. 1990

 

Positive stranded RNA

Poliovirus 1

PV-1 (iii)

7.44

3.0E-04

-

8463

3

0.28

+

Vignuzzi et al. 2006

 

Positive stranded RNA

Tobacco etch virus

TEV

9.49

3.0E-05

-

4890

-

-

-

Sanjuán et al. 2009

 

Positive stranded RNA

Tobacco etch virus

TEV (i)

9.49

4.8E-06

0.32

4357

16 to 190

1

+

Tromas et al. 2010

 

Positive stranded RNA

Hepatitis C virus

HCV

9.65

1.2E-04

-

113

-

-

-

Cuevas et al. 2009

 

Positive stranded RNA

Murine hepatitis virus

MHV

31.4

3.5E-06

-

20163

13

0.55

-

Eckerle et al. 2007

 

Negative stranded RNA

Vesicular stomatitis virus

VSV

11.2

6.9E-05

-

2

3.0 to 6.4

-

-

Holland et al. 1989

 

Negative stranded RNA

Vesicular stomatitis virus

VSV (ii)

11.2

1.8E-05

-

6

less than 1

-

+

Furió et al. 2005

 

Negative stranded RNA

Influenza A virus

FLUVA

13.6

4.5E-05

-

2547

5

0.33

+

Nobusawa & Sato 2006

 

Negative stranded RNA

Influenza A virus

FLUVA (ii)

13.6

7.1E-06

-

2547

7

0.28

+

Parvin et al. 1986

 

Negative stranded RNA

Influenza A virus

FLUVA (iii)

13.6

3.9E-05

-

4

17

ca. 1

+

Stech et al. 1999

 

Negative stranded RNA

Influenza B virus

FLUVB

14.5

1.7E-06

-

2547

7

0.33

+

Nobusawa & Sato 2006

 

Double stranded RNA

Bacteriophage phi6

phi6

13.4

1.6E-06

-

ca. 5.6

1

-

+

Chao et al. 2002

 

Reverse transcribing

Duck hepatitis B virus

DHBV

3.03

2.0E-05

-

1

-

-

-

Pult et al. 2001

 

Reverse transcribing

Spleen necrosis virus

SNV

7.8

2.4E-05

0.25

20

1

1

+

Pathak & Temin 1990

 

Reverse transcribing

Spleen necrosis virus

SNV (ii)

7.8

5.8E-05

-

1

1

1

+

Dougherty & Temin 1988

 

Reverse transcribing

Murine leukaemia virus

MLV

8.33

6.0E-06

-

1

1

1

+

Varela-Echevarria et al. 1992

 

Reverse transcribing

Murine leukaemia virus

MLV (ii)

8.33

4.2E-05

-

4140

1

0.48

+

Monk et al. 1992

 

Reverse transcribing

Murine leukaemia virus

MLV (iii)

8.33

1.1E-04

0.27

76

1

1

+

Parthasarathi et al. 1995

 

Reverse transcribing

Bovine leukaemia virus

BLV

8.42

1.7E-05

0.12

20

1

1

+

Mansky & Temin 1994

 

Reverse transcribing

Human T-cell leukaemia virus

HTLV-1

8.5

1.6E-05

0.1

20

1

1

+

Mansky 2000

 

Reverse transcribing

Human immunodeficiency virus 1

HIV-1

9.18

4.9E-05

0.18

20 to 219

1

1

+

Mansky & Temin 1995; Mansky et al. 2000; Mansky & Bernard 2000

 

Reverse transcribing

Human immunodeficiency virus 1

HIV-1 (ii)

9.18

1.0E-04

0.35

25295

1

-

-

Gao et al. 2004

 

Reverse transcribing

Human immunodeficiency virus 1

HIV-1 (iii)

9.18

8.7E-05

0.07

76

1

1

+

Huang & Wooley 2005

 

Reverse transcribing

Human immunodeficiency virus 1

HIV-1 (iv)

9.18

7.3E-07

-

7

1

1

+

Laasko & Sutton 2006

 

Reverse transcribing

Human immunodeficiency virus 1

HIV-1 (v)

9.18

4.4 E-05

0.03

17

1

1

+

Abram et al. 2010

 

Reverse transcribing

Rous sarcoma virus

RSV

9.4

1.4E-04

-

3375

1

-

-

Leider et al. 1988

 

Reverse transcribing

Foamy virus

FV

13.2

2.1E-04

0.03

ca. 2200

1

1

+

Gärtner et al. 2009

 

Single stranded DNA

Bacteriophage phiX174

phiX174

5.39

1.3E-06

-

12

3.3

-

+

Raney et al. 2004

 

Single stranded DNA

Bacteriophage phiX174

phiX174 (ii)

5.39

1.0E-06

-

7

1.4

-

+

Cuevas et al. 2009

 

Single stranded DNA

Bacteriophage m13

m13

6.41

7.9E-07

0.19

219

5.8

1

+

Kunkel 1985

 

Double stranded DNA

Bacteriophage lambda

lambda

48.5

5.4E-07

0.2

38

-

1

+

Drake 1991

 

Double stranded DNA

Herpes simplex virus

HSV-1

152

5.9E-08

0.17

76

3

1

+

Drake & Hwang 2005

 

Double stranded DNA

Bacteriophage T2

T2

169

9.8E-08

0.37

1576

1

ca. 1

+

Luria 1951