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Summary: Molecular Evolution of the Hepatitis Delta Virus Antigen Gene: Recombination
or Positive Selection?
Maria Anisimova,1,2,3
Ziheng Yang1
1
Department of Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
2
Center for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
3
LIRMM, 161 Rue Ada 34392, Montpellier France
Received: 8 April 2004 / Accepted: 29 June 2004 [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Nicolas Galtier]
Abstract. We present the statistical analysis of
diversifying selective pressures on the hepatitis D
antigen gene (HDAg). Thirty-three distinct HDAg
sequences from subtypes I, II, and III were tested for
positive selection using maximum likelihood methods
based on models of codon substitution that allow
variable selective pressures across sites. Such methods
have been shown to be sufficiently accurate and suc-
cessful in detecting positive selection in a variety of
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