title: Novel Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus homolog in baboons.
abstract: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and lymphoproliferative diseases induced by KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals. To understand KSHV biology it is useful to investigate closely related rhadinoviruses naturally occurring in nonhuman primates. Here we report evidence for a novel KSHV homolog in captive baboon species (Papio anubis and other). Using degenerate PCR we identified a novel rhadinovirus, PapRV2, that has substantial sequence identity to two essential KSHV genes, the viral polymerase and thymidylate synthase. A subset of animals exhibited detectable PapRV2 viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Extensive serological analysis of nearly 200 animals in the colony demonstrated that the majority carried cross-reacting antibodies that recognize KSHV or macaque rhadinovirus antigens. Seroreactivity increased with age, similar to the age-specific prevalence of KSHV in the human population. This establishes baboons as a novel resource to investigate rhadinovirus biology, which can be developed into an animal model system for KSHV-associated human diseases, vaccine development, and therapy evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Viral Epidemiology Section, AIDS Vaccine Program, SAIC-Frederick, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Whitby
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stossel
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gamache
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Papin
authors.forename: Marnix
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Dean H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kedes
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Dirk P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D010215:Papio / Q000821:virology*; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000821:virology*; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000235:genetics; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase