Dataset Information

Discovery of Novel Herpes Simplexviruses in Wild Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees Supports Zoonotic Origin of HSV-2.

ABSTRACT: Viruses closely related to human pathogens can reveal the origins of human infectious diseases. Human herpes simplexvirus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are hypothesized to have arisen via host-virus codivergence and cross-species transmission. We report the discovery of novel herpes simplexviruses during a large-scale screening of fecal samples from wild gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that, contrary to expectation, simplexviruses from these African apes are all more closely related to HSV-2 than to HSV-1. Molecular clock-based hypothesis testing suggests the divergence between HSV-1 and the African great ape simplexviruses likely represents a codivergence event between humans and gorillas. The simplexviruses infecting African great apes subsequently experienced multiple cross-species transmission events over the past 3 My, the most recent of which occurred between humans and bonobos around 1 Ma. These findings revise our understanding of the origins of human herpes simplexviruses and suggest that HSV-2 is one of the earliest zoonotic pathogens.

SUBMITTER: Wertheim JO

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8233514 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Discovery of Novel Herpes Simplexviruses in Wild Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees Supports Zoonotic Origin of HSV-2.

Wertheim Joel O JO Hostager Reilly R Ryu Diane D Merkel Kevin K Angedakin Samuel S Arandjelovic Mimi M Ayimisin Emmanuel Ayuk EA Babweteera Fred F Bessone Mattia M Brun-Jeffery Kathryn J KJ Dieguez Paula P Eckardt Winnie W Fruth Barbara B Herbinger Ilka I Jones Sorrel S Kuehl Hjalmar H Langergraber Kevin E KE Lee Kevin K Madinda Nadege F NF Metzger Sonja S Ormsby Lucy Jayne LJ Robbins Martha M MM Sommer Volker V Stoinski Tara T Wessling Erin G EG Wittig Roman M RM Yuh Yisa Ginath YG Leendertz Fabian H FH Calvignac-Spencer Sébastien S

Molecular biology and evolution 20210601 7

Viruses closely related to human pathogens can reveal the origins of human infectious diseases. Human herpes simplexvirus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are hypothesized to have arisen via host-virus codivergence and cross-species transmission. We report the discovery of novel herpes simplexviruses during a large-scale screening of fecal samples from wild gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that, contrary to expectation, simplexviruses from these African apes a ...[more]

PMID: 33720357

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Dataset Information

Discovery of Novel Herpes Simplexviruses in Wild Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees Supports Zoonotic Origin of HSV-2.

Publications

Discovery of Novel Herpes Simplexviruses in Wild Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees Supports Zoonotic Origin of HSV-2.

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