title: Genetic diversity and phylogeographic clustering of SIVcpzPtt in wild chimpanzees in Cameroon.
abstract: It is now well established that the clade of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) infecting west central African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) comprises the progenitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In this study, we have greatly expanded our previous molecular epidemiological survey of SIVcpz in wild chimpanzees in Cameroon. The new results confirm a wide but uneven distribution of SIVcpzPtt in P. t. troglodytes throughout southern Cameroon and indicate the absence of SIVcpz infection in Pan troglodytes vellerosus. Analyzing 725 fecal samples from 15 field sites, we obtained partial nucleotide sequences from 16 new SIVcpzPtt strains and determined full-length sequences for two of these. Phylogenetic analyses of these new viruses confirmed the previously reported phylogeographic clustering of SIVcpzPtt lineages, with viruses related to the ancestors of HIV-1 groups M and N circulating exclusively in southeastern and south central P. t. troglodytes communities, respectively. Importantly, the SIVcpzPtt strains from the southeastern corner of Cameroon represent a relatively isolated clade indicating a defined geographic origin of the chimpanzee precursor of HIV-1 group M. Since contacts between humans and apes continue, the possibility of ongoing transmissions of SIV from chimpanzees (or gorillas) to humans has to be considered. In this context, our finding of distinct SIVcpzPtt envelope V3 sequence clades suggests that these peptides may be useful for the serological differentiation of SIVcpzPtt and HIV-1 infections, and thus the diagnosis of new cross-species transmissions if they occurred.
authors.affiliation: UMR145, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Department of International Health, University of Montpellier 1, 911, Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Heuverswyn
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bailes
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neel
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lafay
authors.forename: Brandon F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Keele
authors.forename: Katharina S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takehisa
authors.forename: Matthias H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Severin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loul
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Butel
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liegeois
authors.forename: Bienvenue
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yangda
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Eitel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mpoudi-Ngole
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delaporte
authors.forename: Beatrice H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peeters
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005843:Geography; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification