title: Characterization of new small ruminant lentivirus subtype B3 suggests animal trade within the Mediterranean Basin.
abstract: Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) represent a group of viruses infecting sheep and goats worldwide. Despite the high heterogeneity of genotype A strains, which cluster into as many as ten subtypes, genotype B was believed to be less complex and has, so far, been subdivided into only two subtypes. Here, we describe two novel full-length proviral sequences isolated from Sarda sheep in two Italian regions. Genome sequence as well as the main linear epitopes clearly placed this cluster into genotype B. However, owing to long-standing segregation of this sheep breed, the genetic distances that are clearly >15 % with respect to B1 and B2 subtypes suggest the designation of a novel subtype, B3. Moreover the close relationship with a gag sequence obtained from a Turkish sheep adds new evidence to historical data that suggest an anthropochorous dissemination of hosts (small ruminants) and their pathogens (SRLV) during the colonization of the Mediterranean from the Middle East.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center, Università degli Studi di Torino, via Nizza 52, 10126 Torino, Italy.|Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia, Ecologia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertolotti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Profilassi ed Igiene degli Alimenti, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puggioni
authors.affiliation: Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Carrozza
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dei Giudici
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Virology, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Muz
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia, Ecologia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juganaru
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patta
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Profilassi ed Igiene degli Alimenti, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tolari
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia, Ecologia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006041:Goats; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000821:virology*