Multiple origins of viral capsid proteins from cellular ancestors

Significance The entire history of life is the story of virus–host coevolution. Therefore the origins and evolution of viruses are an essential component of this process. A signature feature of the virus state is the capsid, the proteinaceous shell that encases the viral genome. Although homologous capsid proteins are encoded by highly diverse viruses, there are at least 20 unrelated varieties of these proteins. We show here that many, if not all, capsid proteins evolved from ancestral proteins of cellular organisms on multiple, independent occasions. These findings reveal a stronger connection between the virosphere and cellular life forms than previously suspected.