Molecular investigations of higher primate foamy viruses.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Molecular investigations of higher primate foamy viruses.

Symp Nonhum Primate Models AIDS. 1993 Sep 19-22;11:abstract no. 49. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE PRIM11/94191644
Bieniasz PD; Ali M; McClure MO; Department of G.U. Medicine and Communicable Diseases, St Mary's; Hospital Medical School, Paddington, London, U.K.

Abstract: We have undertaken a comparative study of foamy viruses isolated from higher primates: human (HFV), chimpanzee (SFV-6, SFV-7), gorilla (GFV) and orangutan (OFV) using serology, PCR, sequencing, and an assay for transactivation. Serologically, using virus infected BHK cells as antigen and sera from infected primates, HFV, SFV-6, SFV-7 and GFV were immunologically highly cross reactive. Sera from an OFV infected orangutan reacted weakly with the other viruses. PCR primers derived from the HFV genome in regions conserved for SFV-1 and SFV-3 successfully amplified all the higher primate foamy viruses, whereas randomly selected primers only amplified HFV and SFV-6 (and to a lesser extent SFV-7) derived fragments. Sequence analysis of a 300bp region of the LTR revealed a very close relationship between SFV-6 and HFV (> 90% nucleotide identity) with GFV being slightly more divergent and OFV more distant still. Further sequence analysis of all these viruses is currently being performed. To assess whether or not these viruses possess genes encoding transactivators capable of interacting with th HFV LTR, a cell line containing a Lac-Z gene under the control of the HFV LTR. was constructed Infection of this cell line with HFV, SFV-6 and SFV-7 led to the expression of beta-galactosidase (visualized by X-gal staining) whereas infection with GFV or OFV did not. As yet, aside from very small differences in nucleotide sequence, we have found the properties of SFV-6 indistinguishable from that of HFV. Additionally, sera from 25 captive chimpanzee were analysed immunohistochemically for their ability to stain SFV-6 infected BHK cells. All of the sera analysed were positive. These data suggest that SFV-6 infection is widespread in chimpanzees and HFV may be the result of a recent zoonosis between chimpanzees and humans.

Keywords: Animal Base Sequence Cell Line Chimpansee troglodytes Conserved Sequence Gorilla gorilla Hamsters Human Kidney Polymerase Chain Reaction/METHODS Pongo pygmaeus Primates/*MICROBIOLOGY Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Species Specificity Spumavirus/*CLASSIFICATION/GENETICS/*ISOLATION & PURIF ABSTRACT
940730
M9470874

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