African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Polyomaviruses Closely Related to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus

Fabian H. Leendertz; Nelly Scuda; Kenneth N. Cameron; Tonny Kidega; Klaus Zuberbuhler; Siv Aina J. Leendertz; Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann; Christophe Boesch; Sebastien Calvignac; Bernhard Ehlers

doi:10.1128/JVI.01585-10

African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Polyomaviruses Closely Related to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus

Fabian H. Leendertz, Nelly Scuda, Kenneth N. Cameron, Tonny Kidega, Klaus Zuberbuhler, Siv Aina J. Leendertz, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Christophe Boesch, Sebastien Calvignac, Bernhard Ehlers

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infects humans worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence of viruses related to MCPyV in the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans, great apes. We analyzed samples from 30 wild chimpanzees and one captive gorilla and identified two new groups of polyomaviruses (PyVs). These new viruses are by far the closest relatives to MCPyV described to date, providing the first evidence of the natural occurrence of PyVs related to MCPyV in wild great apes. Similar to MCPyV, the prevalence of these viruses is relatively high (>30%). This, together with the fact that humans in West and Central Africa frequently hunt and butcher primates, may point toward further MCPyV-like strains spreading to, or already existing in, our species.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	916-924
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Virology
Volume	85
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01585-10
Publication status	Published - Jan 2011

Keywords

MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT
MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD
CARCINOMA
VIRUSES
IDENTIFICATION
PROTEIN
PHYLOGENIES
CHIMPANZEE
EVOLUTION
SELECTION

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@article{67f109e138564560ad7a7b31d3a5e921,

title = "African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Polyomaviruses Closely Related to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus",

abstract = "The oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infects humans worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence of viruses related to MCPyV in the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans, great apes. We analyzed samples from 30 wild chimpanzees and one captive gorilla and identified two new groups of polyomaviruses (PyVs). These new viruses are by far the closest relatives to MCPyV described to date, providing the first evidence of the natural occurrence of PyVs related to MCPyV in wild great apes. Similar to MCPyV, the prevalence of these viruses is relatively high (>30%). This, together with the fact that humans in West and Central Africa frequently hunt and butcher primates, may point toward further MCPyV-like strains spreading to, or already existing in, our species.",

keywords = "MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT, MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD, CARCINOMA, VIRUSES, IDENTIFICATION, PROTEIN, PHYLOGENIES, CHIMPANZEE, EVOLUTION, SELECTION",

author = "Leendertz, {Fabian H.} and Nelly Scuda and Cameron, {Kenneth N.} and Tonny Kidega and Klaus Zuberbuhler and Leendertz, {Siv Aina J.} and Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann and Christophe Boesch and Sebastien Calvignac and Bernhard Ehlers",

year = "2011",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1128/JVI.01585-10",

language = "English",

volume = "85",

pages = "916--924",

journal = "Journal of Virology",

issn = "0022-538X",

publisher = "American Society for Microbiology",

number = "2",

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T1 - African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Polyomaviruses Closely Related to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus

AU - Leendertz, Fabian H.

AU - Scuda, Nelly

AU - Cameron, Kenneth N.

AU - Kidega, Tonny

AU - Zuberbuhler, Klaus

AU - Leendertz, Siv Aina J.

AU - Couacy-Hymann, Emmanuel

AU - Boesch, Christophe

AU - Calvignac, Sebastien

AU - Ehlers, Bernhard

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - The oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infects humans worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence of viruses related to MCPyV in the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans, great apes. We analyzed samples from 30 wild chimpanzees and one captive gorilla and identified two new groups of polyomaviruses (PyVs). These new viruses are by far the closest relatives to MCPyV described to date, providing the first evidence of the natural occurrence of PyVs related to MCPyV in wild great apes. Similar to MCPyV, the prevalence of these viruses is relatively high (>30%). This, together with the fact that humans in West and Central Africa frequently hunt and butcher primates, may point toward further MCPyV-like strains spreading to, or already existing in, our species.

AB - The oncogenic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infects humans worldwide, but little is known about the occurrence of viruses related to MCPyV in the closest phylogenetic relatives of humans, great apes. We analyzed samples from 30 wild chimpanzees and one captive gorilla and identified two new groups of polyomaviruses (PyVs). These new viruses are by far the closest relatives to MCPyV described to date, providing the first evidence of the natural occurrence of PyVs related to MCPyV in wild great apes. Similar to MCPyV, the prevalence of these viruses is relatively high (>30%). This, together with the fact that humans in West and Central Africa frequently hunt and butcher primates, may point toward further MCPyV-like strains spreading to, or already existing in, our species.

KW - MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT

KW - MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD

KW - CARCINOMA

KW - VIRUSES

KW - IDENTIFICATION

KW - PROTEIN

KW - PHYLOGENIES

KW - CHIMPANZEE

KW - EVOLUTION

KW - SELECTION

U2 - 10.1128/JVI.01585-10

DO - 10.1128/JVI.01585-10

M3 - Article

SN - 0022-538X

VL - 85

SP - 916

EP - 924

JO - Journal of Virology

JF - Journal of Virology

IS - 2

ER -

African Great Apes Are Naturally Infected with Polyomaviruses Closely Related to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus

Abstract

Keywords

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