Isolation and characterization of a chimpanzee alphaherpesvirus.
Although both beta- and gammaherpesviruses indigenous to great-ape species have been isolated, to date all alphaherpesviruses isolated from apes have proven to be human viruses [herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV1) and 2 (HSV2) or varicella-zoster virus]. If the alphaherpesviruses have co-evolved with their host species, some if not all ape species should harbour their own alphaherpesviruses. Here, the isolation and characterization of an alphaherpesvirus from a chimpanzee (ChHV) are described. Sequencing of a number of genes throughout the ChHV genome indicates that it is collinear with that of HSV. Phylogenetic analyses place ChHV in a clade with HSV1 and HSV2, the alphaherpesviruses of Old World monkeys comprising a separate clade. Analysis of reactivity patterns of HSV2-immune human sera and ChHV-immune chimpanzee sera by competition ELISA support this relationship. Phylogenetic analyses also place ChHV rather than HSV1 as the closest relative of HSV2.
Luebcke
Emily
E
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Dubovi
Edward
E
Animal Health Diagnostic Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Black
Darla
D
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Ohsawa
Kazutaka
K
Division of Comparative Medicine, Center for Frontier Life Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
Eberle
Richard
R
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
D018138:Alphaherpesvirinae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010802:Phylogeny; D014709:Vero Cells
D004279:DNA, Viral