title: SIVagm containing the SHIV89.6P Envelope gene replicates poorly and is non-pathogenic.
abstract: SIVagm does not induce disease in its African green monkey (AGM) host. In comparison, the hybrid simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIV89.6P that carries the HIV env gene induces disease in rhesus macaques more rapidly than the SIVmac parent virus. To address the possibility that this enhancement of disease by HIV env would also occur when present in SIVagm, a full-length SIVagm/89.6Penv chimeric lentivirus genome (termed SHIV-MP) was constructed. SHIV-MP replicated similarly to SIVagm in simian peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In inoculated AGMs, rhesus macaques and pig-tailed (PT) macaques the absolute number of CD4(+) T lymphocytes remained at normal levels. The peak levels of productively infected cells in SHIV-MP-infected monkeys ranged from 10(1) to 10(2) per 10(6) PBMCs, while in SIVagm infected macaques the levels were 10-100-fold higher. The env gene of SHIV89.6P therefore appears insufficient to confer acute pathogenicity to a non-pathogenic primate lentivirus due to poor in vivo replication.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perković
authors.affiliation: Robert-Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norley
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanzenbacher
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battenberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panitz
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary Medicine, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Cheik
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coulibaly
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Egbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flory
authors.affiliation: Robert-Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Siegismund
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany. Electronic address: carsten.muenk@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Münk
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cichutek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D019562:Viral Load; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology