Isolation of an HTLV-III-related retrovirus from macaques with simian AIDS and its possible origin in asymptomatic mangabeys

Abstract

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has become a worldwide epidemic, so the development of vaccines and antiviral agents effective against the causative agent, human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III), is vital. This work would be greatly simplified if a suitable animal model could be developed. Here we report the isolation of an HTLV-III-related retrovirus, STLV-III/Delta, from rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with transmissible simian AIDS (SAIDS) and from asymptomatic sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys). SAIDS was initially diagnosed in several macaques previously inoculated with tissue homogenates of mangabey origin. Western blot analysis of both the mangabey and macaque sera demonstrated the presence of antibody cross-reactive primarily with the HTLV-III proteins p24 and p61. In a related experiment, analysis of these same sera revealed simian antibody to STLV-III/Delta proteins similar, but not identical, to those of HTLV-III with estimated relative molecular masses (Mrs) of 16,000 (16K), 26K, 35K, 45K, 60K and 110K. Infection of the mangabey, an African primate, with an HTLV-III-related virus may provide a clue to the origin of HTLV-III in humans. The apparent difference in susceptibility to SAIDS-like disease between infected macaques and mangabeys suggests that these species may respond differently to STLV-III infection.

Infectivity of lion and puma lentiviruses for domestic cats.

“…Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the lentivirus of domestic cats, and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) induce immunodeficiency syndromes similar to HIV and thus are important models for AIDS research. Simian lentiviruses do not cause an AIDS-like illness in their natural host species, likely due to the long period of host adaptation to the virus which has occurred in the African monkey species (Hirsch et al, 1989 ;Murphey-Corb et al, 1986). By contrast, when inoculated into Asian primates, SIV causes immunodeficiency syndrome in these related, yet nonadapted hosts (Letvin & King, 1990 ;Murphey-Corb et al, 1986).…”

Biology and Pathogenesis of Lentiviruses

“…These latter agents include newly identified immunodeficiency viruses of cats (Pederson et al, 1987), cattle (Van Der Maaten et al, 1972;Gonda et al, 1987) andprimates (Barr6-Sinoussi et al, 1983;Clavel et al, 1986;. The primate lentiviruses comprise HIV types 1 and 2 (HIV-1, HIV-2), the simian immunodeficiency viruses ~(SIV) of Asian macaques (SIVmae) Benveniste et al, 1986) and those of African monkeys [the African green monkey (SIVagm) , the sooty mangabey monkey (SXVsm) (Fultz et al, 1986;Murphey-Corb et al, 1986) and the mandril (SIVm,d) ].…”

“…Naturally infected mangabey monkeys do not become ill and are virus carriers for life. However, inoculation of the virus obtained from mangabey monkeys into macaques results in acute disease and the onset of AIDS (Murphey-Corb et al, 1986). The relationship between this virus and SIVmae has not been established as yet.…”

Review

“…These viruses are highly related in their genetical, morphological, and biological properties, and therefore must have recently diverged from a common progenitor. HIV research has also fruitfully influenced veterinary medicine since lentiviruses were discovered in primates (simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), (Daniel et a/., 1985;Benveniste et al, 1986;Murphey-Corb et a/., 1986), cats [feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), Pederson et al, 1987] and cattle [bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) Gonda, 1992].…”