Molecular Evidence for Distinct Genotypes of Monkey B Virus (Herpesvirus Simiae) Which Are Related to the Macaque Host Species

Abstract

Although monkey B virus (herpesvirus simiae; BV) is common in all macaque species, fatal human infections appear to be associated with exposure to rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), suggesting that BV isolates from rhesus monkeys may be more lethal to nonmacaques than are BV strains indigenous to other macaque species. To determine if significant differences that would support this supposition exist among BV isolates, we compared multiple BV strains isolated from rhesus, cynomolgus, pigtail, and Japanese macaques. Antigenic analyses indicated that while the isolates were very closely related to one another, there are some antigenic determinants that are specific to BV isolates from different macaque species. Restriction enzyme digest patterns of viral DNA revealed marked similarities between rhesus and Japanese macaque isolates, while pigtail and cynomolgus macaque isolates had distinctive cleavage patterns. To further compare genetic diversity among BV isolates, DNA sequences from two regions of the viral genome containing genes that are conserved (UL27 and US6) and variable (US4 and US5) among primate alphaherpesviruses, as well as from two noncoding intergenic regions, were determined. From these sequence data and a phylogenetic analysis of them it was evident that while all isolates were closely related strains of BV, there were three distinct genotypes. The three BV genotypes were directly related to the macaque species of origin and were composed of (i) isolates from rhesus and Japanese macaques, (ii) cynomolgus monkey isolates, and (iii) isolates from pigtail macaques. This study demonstrates the existence of different BV genotypes which are related to the macaque host species and thus provides a molecular basis for the possible existence of BV isolates which vary in their levels of pathogenicity for nonmacaque species.

Identification of unique B virus (Macacine Herpesvirus 1) epitopes of zoonotic and macaque isolates using monoclonal antibodies

“…A similar finding for a mAb specific for B virus isolates was previously reported [ 16 ]. These results support previous findings indicating that rhesus B virus and Japanese macaque B virus isolates are more distantly related to cynomolgus B virus and pigtail B virus isolates [ 37 ]. These mAbs can be used to establish the species of specific macaques involved in zoonotic infections in absence of information regarding a known exposure, as often is the case.…”

A novel strain of cynomolgus macaque cytomegalovirus: implications for host-virus co-evolution

“…Herpesviruses were present in primates 70 mya [ 12 ], and have been used as surrogates to track mammalian – including human – evolution and migration [ 12 , 13 ]. Herpesviruses, including CMVs, were also present in the most recent common ancestor of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, and are presumed to have undergone geographic differentiation similar to their host species [ 14 ]. However, macaques can become infected with multiple strains of CMV and these CMV strains may experience recombination.…”

Questioning the Extreme Neurovirulence of Monkey B Virus(Macacine alphaherpesvirus 1)

“…The BV genome has a very high G + C content (~75%) and its genetic arrangement is orthologous to that of HSV ( Figure 2 ). Based on PCR/sequencing of a small region of the BV genome, different “genotypes” of BV were identified that correlated with the macaque species the virus was isolated from [ 24 , 101 , 102 ]. Comparison of complete genome sequences of BV isolates from different macaque species confirmed the division of BV into host species-based genotypes [ 77 ].…”