Isolation of simian immunodeficiency viruses from two sooty mangabeys in Côte d'Ivoire: virological and genetic characterization and relationship to other HIV type 2 and SIVsm/mac strains.
OBJECTIVE
To search for the presence of SIV in sooty mangabeys and other monkey species in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, and to compare viral isolates with HIV-2 strains from the same region.


METHODS
Forty-three captive housed monkeys (28 African green monkeys, 6 sooty mangabeys, 6 baboons, and 6 patas monkeys) were tested for the presence of HIV and SIV antibodies. Virus was isolated from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of seropositive animals and from HIV-2 antibody-positive patients originating from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Belgium. Viruses were characterized by Western blot and radioimmunoprecipitation assay. Proviral DNA was amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced to construct a phylogenetic tree.


RESULTS
One African green monkey and three sooty mangabeys had antibodies that cross-reacted with HIV-2. From two mangabeys lentiviruses were isolated and designated as SIVsmCI2 and SIVsmCI8. Serological, virological, and sequence data showed that these isolates are members of the HIV-2/SIVsm/SIVmac group of primate lentiviruses. Furthermore, in the phylogenetic tree, these two new viruses form a distinct subgroup that is equidistant to the HIV-2 strains and the previously described SIVsm/SIVmac viruses.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides additional evidence that sooty mangabey monkeys can be infected with a lentivirus in their natural habitat. Within the SIVsm and SIVmac viruses extensive genetic variation is observed.
Department of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
M
M
Peeters
W
W
Janssens
K
K
Fransen
J
J
Brandful
L
L
Heyndrickx
K
K
Koffi
E
E
Delaporte
P
P
Piot
G M
GM
Gershy-Damet
G
G
van der Groen
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D001530:Belgium; D016665:Cercocebus atys / Q000821:virology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000821:virology; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D017931:DNA Primers; D004901:Erythrocebus patas / Q000821:virology; D005869:Ghana; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010215:Papio / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012675:Senegal; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D015483:HIV Antibodies