Novel Gamma-1 Herpesviruses Identified in Free-Ranging New World Monkeys (Golden-Handed Tamarin [Saguinus midas], Squirrel Monkey [Saimiri sciureus], and White-Faced Saki [Pithecia pithecia]) in French Guiana

Abstract

The recent finding of a novel Epstein-Barr virus-related lymphocryptovirus (CalHV-3) in a captive colony of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) in the United States modifies the view that the host range of lymphocryptovirus is restricted to humans and Old World primates. We investigated the presence of Epstein-Barr virus-related viruses in 79 samples of New World monkeys caught in the wild, including six species of the Cebidae family and one of the Callitrichidae, living in the rain forest of French Guiana. Using a degenerate consensus PCR method for the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene, we identified three novel lymphocryptoviruses from golden-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas) of the Callitrichidae family and squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) and white-faced saki (Pithecia pithecia) of the Cebidae family. With the CalHV-3 strain, these three novel viruses constitute a well-supported phylogenetic clade in the Lymphocryptovirus genus, which is clearly distinct from the lineage of Old World lymphocryptovirus, hosted by catarrhine monkeys and humans. In tamarins, the prevalence of the novel lymphocryptovirus was more than 50%, indicating that it circulates well in the wild population, perhaps due to specific ecoethological patterns such as confrontations and intergroup migration. The detection and partial molecular characterization of the polymerase gene of three novel Gamma-1-Herpesvirinae from New World monkeys caught in the wild clearly indicate that free-ranging populations of platyrrhine are natural hosts of lymphocryptoviruses. Further characterization of these novel viruses will provide new insight not only into the origin and evolution of Gammaherpesvirinae but also into their pathogenicity.

African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Roseoloviruses Closely Related to Human Herpesvirus 7

“…During the last few decades, Old World primates, including great apes, and New World primates have been studied extensively and found to harbor several herpesviruses (2)(3)(4). This led to the identification of numerous lymphocryptoviruses and rhadinoviruses of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, as well as cytomegaloviruses from different nonhuman primate (NHP) species (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

DNA Polymerase Sequences of New World Monkey Cytomegaloviruses: Another Molecular Marker with Which To Infer Platyrrhini Systematics

“…By refining the degeneracy of the PCR primers used to screen the sample collection, we were able to specifically target and identify CMV sequences, even though some of the primates tested were coinfected with lymphocryptoviruses (36). Indeed, we formerly identified 17 EBV-related viruses from 15 NWM species belonging to seven genera and three families from the same collection of samples (36,37). These new combinations of screening primers are therefore good molecular tools to be used for future studies.…”

“…We thought that additional investigations on a larger number of species were required. We therefore addressed the possible presence of CMVs in different NWM species for which we previously partially characterized Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-like viruses (36,37). The purpose was to gain greater insight into the distribution and diversity of CMVs infecting the Platyrrhini primates.…”

Herpèsvirus de primates

“…L'absence de réactions séro-logiques croisées chez les PNH du nouveau monde (Platyrrhiniens) avait amené certains auteurs à suggérer que les Lymphocryptovirus présentaient un spectre d'hôtes uniquement restreint aux hommes et aux PNH de l'ancien monde. Cette théorie a cependant été remise en cause au début des années 2000 suite à l'identification de séquences proches de l'EBV, tout d'abord chez le ouistiti (CalHV-3 pour Callitrichine herpesvirus 3), puis chez d'autres espèces de PNH du nouveau monde (singe écureuil, atèle, singe hurleur, …) (Ramer et al 2000;de Thoisy et al 2003;Ehlers et al 2003;Ehlers et al 2010). On dénombre aujourd'hui une cinquantaine de virus de PNH proches de l'EBV, dont sept reconnus par l'ICTV.…”

“…Ces groupes phylogénétiques présentent ainsi un profil d'évolution similaire à celui des hôtes, suggérant une coévolution virus/hôte (McGeoch, 2001). Concernant les Lymphocryptovirus, seuls deux sous-groupes moléculaires tiennent : les virus de PNH du nouveau monde forment un clade monophylétique qui s'oppose au clade des virus de PNH de l'ancien monde (de Thoisy et al 2003;Ehlers et al 2010). Bien que les relations évolutives des Lymphocryptovirus de PNH du nouveau monde semblent globalement cohérentes avec celles de leurs hôtes, la phylogénie des virus de PNH de l'ancien monde est plus complexe et ne semble pas suivre un modèle d'« évo-lution synchrone » entre virus et hôtes (Gerner et al 2004).…”