Abstract:
Lymphocryptovirus (LCV), an infectious agent of global distribution, is found in various non-human primates. As a herpesvirus inherently infecting gibbons it is closely related to human Epstein-Barr virus (EVB) with which it shares considerable genetic, biologic and epidemiologic features. In order to investigate its seroprevalence and molecular characterization we collected blood samples from 70 gibbons (51 Hylobates lar, 18 Hylobates pileatus and 1 Hylobates agilis) for further separation into peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Sixty-four from seventy (91.4%) PBMCs yielded the partial LCV DNA polymerase gene by semi-nested PCR as a 416-bp product, which we subjected to direct sequencing and comparison with nucleotide sequences stored in GenBank applying the BLAST program. All sequences showed 82% nucleic acid and 92% amino acid identity to human EBV. Phylogenetic tree analysis demonstrated gibbon LCVs clustered separately from other gammaherpesvirinae but closely related to LCV of other species. Further characterization of nonhuman primate LCV might thus provide new insight into both evolution and pathogenicity of gammaherpesvirinae