title: Genetic analysis of small ruminant lentiviruses following lactogenic transmission.
abstract: Lactogenic transmission plays an important role in the biology of lentiviruses such as HIV and SIV or the small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV). In this work we analyzed the characteristics of viruses that goats, naturally infected with two strains of SRLV, transmitted to their kids. The spectrum of viral genotypes transmitted was broader and the efficiency of transmission greater compared to their human and simian counterparts. The newly described A10 subgroup of SRLV was more efficiently transmitted than the B1 genotype. The analysis of a particular stretch of the envelope glycoprotein encompassing a potential neutralizing epitope revealed that, as in SIV, the transmitted viruses were positively charged in this region, but, in contrast to SIV, they tended to lack a glycosylation site that might protect against antibody neutralization. We conclude that the physiology of the ruminant neonatal intestine, which permits the adsorption of infected maternal cells, shaped the evolution of these particular lentiviruses that represent a valid model of lactogenic lentivirus transmission.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy. giuliano.pisoni@unimi.it
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pisoni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manarolla
authors.forename: Hans-Rudolf
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scaccabarozzi
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moroni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D006041:Goats; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008892:Milk / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral