Demonstration of Coinfection with and Recombination by Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus and Maedi-Visna Virus in Naturally Infected Goats

摘要: Recombination of different strains and subtypes is a hallmark lentivirus infections, particularly for human immunodeficiency virus, contributes significantly to viral diversity evolution both within individual hosts populations. Recombinant viruses are generated in individuals coinfected or superinfected with more than one lentiviral strain subtype. This, however, has never been described vivo the prototype maedi-visna virus sheep its closely related caprine counterpart, arthritis-encephalitis virus. Cross-species infections occur animals living under natural conditions, which suggests that dual small-ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) possible. In this paper we describe first documented case coinfection recombination two naturally infected goats. DNA fragments encompassing variable region envelope glycoprotein were obtained from these by end-limiting dilution PCR peripheral blood mononuclear cells cocultures. Genetic analyses, including nucleotide sequencing heteroduplex mobility assays, showed goats harbored distinct populations SRLVs. Phylogenetic analysis permitted us assign sequences group (SRLV A) B). SimPlot clear evidence A/B env gene segment detected This provides conclusive SRLVs groups A B can indeed actually recombine vivo.