Gene duplication, gene loss, and recombination events with variola virus shaped the complex evolutionary path of historical American horsepox-based smallpox vaccines

Vaccinia virus is the active component of all modern smallpox vaccines after the mid-20th century, but it is uncertain to what extent cowpox, vaccinia, and horsepox viruses were used to produce vaccines before then. Genome sequences of six smallpox vaccines used in the United States between 1850 and 1902, namely VK01, VK02, VK05, VK08, VK12, and Mulford_1902 vaccines, revealed >99.5% similarity with a 1976 strain of horsepox in the genome core. However, how these historical vaccines relate to horsepox and vaccinia viruses is still unknown. Here, we present a detailed investigation of the gene content and genomic structure of these historical smallpox vaccines. Except for VK05, all historical vaccines differ from horsepox in the genomic architecture of the flanking variable regions showing complex patterns of gene duplication/transposition, gene fragmentation, and gene loss. The Mulford_1902 vaccine is the closest virus to contemporary vaccinia viruses and the VK02 vaccine is the most different, with several stretches of variola virus genes recombined in its genome. Our data suggest that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, different horsepox-based vaccines and probably related unsampled progenitors of modern vaccinia virus coexisted. A better understanding of the evolutionary path of the now extinct horsepox-based vaccines will increase our knowledge of the origins of contemporary vaccinia viruses and the pathways that led to the consolidation of current smallpox vaccines. This is particularly important now that the resumption of production of smallpox vaccines for use against mpox is widely discussed, as is the improvement of available vaccines.

Automated summary

This study investigates the gene content and genomic structure of historical smallpox vaccines used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The findings reveal differences between these vaccines, contemporary vaccinia viruses, and horsepox viruses. The study suggests the coexistence of different horsepox-based vaccines and potentially unsampled progenitors of modern vaccinia virus. This research contributes to our understanding of the origins of contemporary vaccinia viruses and the evolution of smallpox vaccines.