title: Genetic Diversity within Alphaherpesviruses: Characterization of a Novel Variant of Herpes Simplex Virus 2.
abstract: Very low levels of variability have been reported for the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) genome. We recently described a new genetic variant of HSV-2 (HSV-2v) characterized by a much higher degree of variability for the UL30 gene (DNA polymerase) than observed for the HG52 reference strain. Retrospective screening of 505 clinical isolates of HSV-2 by a specific real-time PCR assay targeting the UL30 gene led to the identification of 13 additional HSV-2v isolates, resulting in an overall prevalence of 2.8%. Phylogenetic analyses on the basis of microsatellite markers and gene sequences showed clear differences between HSV-2v and classical HSV-2. Thirteen of the 14 patients infected with HSV-2v originated from West or Central Africa, and 9 of these patients were coinfected with HIV. These results raise questions about the origin of this new virus. Preliminary results suggest that HSV-2v may have acquired genomic segments from chimpanzee alphaherpesvirus (ChHV) by recombination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article deals with the highly topical question of the origin of this new HSV-2 variant identified in patients with HIV coinfection originating mostly from West or Central Africa. HSV-2v clearly differed from classical HSV-2 isolates in phylogenetic analyses and may be linked to simian ChHV. This new HSV-2 variant highlights the possible occurrence of recombination between human and simian herpesviruses under natural conditions, potentially presenting greater challenges for the future.
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CR7, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), Paris, France INSERM, U1135, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service de Virologie, Paris, France sonia.burrel@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burrel
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service de Virologie, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, INSERM UMR_S 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Désiré
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CR7, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), Paris, France INSERM, U1135, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marlet
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité Dynamique des Lyssavirus et Adaptation à l'Hôte, Centre National de Référence de la Rage, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dacheux
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seang
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caumes
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité Dynamique des Lyssavirus et Adaptation à l'Hôte, Centre National de Référence de la Rage, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bourhy
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CR7, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), Paris, France INSERM, U1135, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service de Virologie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agut
authors.affiliation: Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, CR7, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI-Paris), Paris, France INSERM, U1135, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service de Virologie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boutolleau
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central; D000354:Africa, Western; D000818:Animals; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000235:genetics; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010802:Phylogeny; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase