Full-length sequence analysis of SIVmus in wild populations of mustached monkeys (Cercopithecus cephus) from Cameroon provides evidence for two co-circulating SIVmus lineages

Abstract

Mustached monkeys (Cercopithecus cephus), which form a significant component of primate bushmeat in west central Africa, are infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmus). We identified and genetically characterized five new SIVmus strains infecting wild living mustached monkeys from Cameroon. Phylogenetic analysis of partial pol sequences revealed that SIVmus strains form two distinct groups within the clade comprised of lentiviruses isolated from Cercopithecus nictitans (SIVgsn), Cercopithecus mona (SIVmon) and C. cephus (SIVmus). Characterisation of three full-length SIVmus genomes confirmed the presence of two distinct lineages infecting mustached monkeys. These two variants of SIVmus, here designated SIVmus-1 and SIVmus-2, were isolated from animals sharing habitats within the same geographic region. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the diversification of SIVmus, SIVgsn and SIVmon involved inter-lineage recombination, and suggested that one of the SIVmus lineages likely resulted from cross-species transmission and recombination involving SIVmus and an as yet uncharacterized SIV. These results indicate that cross-species transmission and recombination play a major role in the evolution of primate lentiviruses among sympatric primate species.

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIV agm from African Green Monkeys Does Not Antagonize Endogenous Levels of African Green Monkey Tetherin/BST-2

“…Codon-optimized HIV-1 Vpu was a gift from Stephen Bour (29), and codonoptimized (Genscript) SIV mus Vpu was constructed from a calculated ancestral sequence constructed from four SIV mus Vpu sequences reported previously (1,29). Both Vpu constructs were inserted into a pCDNA3.1 expression vector as HindIII and NotI fragments.…”

Origins of HIV and the AIDS Pandemic

“…In addition, cross-species transmissions have generated mosaic SIV lineages through superinfection and recombination in species that already harbored an SIV (e.g., SIVsab infection of sabaeus monkeys) (Jin et al 1994a). In both mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and moustached monkeys (Cercopithecus cephus), such recombination events have led to the emergence of a second SIV strain that cocirculates with the original virus (Souquiere et al 2001;Aghokeng et al 2007). Thus, it is clear that in addition to more long-standing virus/host relationships, a number of naturally occurring SIVs have emerged more recently as a result of cross-species transmission and recombination.…”

Full-Length Genome Characterization of a Novel Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Lineage (SIVolc) from Olive Colobus ( Procolobus verus ) and New SIVwrc Pbb Strains from Western Red Colobus ( Piliocolobus badius badius ) from the Taï Forest in Ivory Coast

“…Similarly as for previous reports on full-length characterization of new SIVs (1,6,29,31), complete SIVwrcPbb-98CI04, SIVwrcPbb-97CI14, and SIVolc-97CI12 genomes were obtained by amplification of overlapping PCR fragments and unintegrated circular DNA using combinations of specific SIVwrc and SIVolc primers, as well as degenerate consensus SIV primers. The primers used are shown in Table 1.…”