Open AccessNovel Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Homolog in Baboons
Author(s) -
Denise Whitby,
Andrea Stossel,
Christine Gamache,
James F. Papin,
Marnix L. Bosch,
Anne Louise Smith,
Dean H. Kedes,
Gary L. White,
Ronald C. Kennedy,
Dirk P. Dittmer
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.77.14.8159-8165.2003
Subject(s) - biology , virology , kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus , sarcoma , gammaherpesvirinae , virus , cancer research , herpesviridae , viral disease , pathology , medicine
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and lymphoproliferative diseases induced by KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/human herpesvirus 8) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals. To understand KSHV biology it is useful to investigate closely related rhadinoviruses naturally occurring in nonhuman primates. Here we report evidence for a novel KSHV homolog in captive baboon species (Papio anubis and other). Using degenerate PCR we identified a novel rhadinovirus, PapRV2, that has substantial sequence identity to two essential KSHV genes, the viral polymerase and thymidylate synthase. A subset of animals exhibited detectable PapRV2 viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Extensive serological analysis of nearly 200 animals in the colony demonstrated that the majority carried cross-reacting antibodies that recognize KSHV or macaque rhadinovirus antigens. Seroreactivity increased with age, similar to the age-specific prevalence of KSHV in the human population. This establishes baboons as a novel resource to investigate rhadinovirus biology, which can be developed into an animal model system for KSHV-associated human diseases, vaccine development, and therapy evaluation.