title: TT viruses (TTV) of non-human primates and their relationship to the human TTV genotypes.
abstract: Sera from eight different non-human primate species, in total 216 samples, were analysed for the presence of TT virus (TTV) sequences. A very high incidence of TTV infection was found in sera from both common chimpanzees and pygmy chimpanzees, 48.8% and 66.7%, respectively. Sequence analysis of PCR fragments from two pygmy chimpanzees and seven common chimpanzees resulted in a total of 14 different TTV sequences. Phylogenetic analysis, including human TTV of all known genotypes, revealed that: (i) TTV from pygmy chimpanzees are closely related to viruses from human genotypes 2 and 3; (ii) TTV sequences obtained from common chimpanzees cluster together with human TTV genotypes 5 and 6, the latter only at the protein level; (iii) TTV from the common chimpanzee subspecies Pan troglodytes verus and Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii cluster together, suggesting an ancient host-pathogen relationship before subspeciation 1.6 million years ago; and (iv) TTV of common and pygmy chimpanzees may have been acquired by these animals in different zoonotic events not longer than 2.5 million years ago.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, PO Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands1.
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Verschoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, PO Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands1.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langenhuijzen
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, PO Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands1.
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Heeney
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000821:virology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011323:Primates / Q000821:virology*; D012452:Saguinus / Q000821:virology