Origin of new lineages of human AIDS discovered

Two new lineages of the virus which causes AIDS have been found to originate from western lowland gorillas.

A research team used viral RNA sequencing techniques and discovered the origins of two lineages of HIV-1 virus after studying simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in African gorillas.

In the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team screened faecal samples from western lowland gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas in West Central Africa for evidence of SIV infection.

The HIV-1 virus is split into four lineages – groups M, N, O and P. From previous research, only two lineages – M and N – were known to scientists, which originate from geographically distinct chimpanzee communities in southern Cameroon.

Research partner, Professor Beatrice Hahn at the University of Montpellier said: “Viral sequencing revealed a high degree of genetic diversity among the different gorilla samples. Two of the gorilla virus lineages were particularly closely related to HIV-1 groups O and P. This told us that these two groups originated in western lowland gorillas.”

Now that the origins of O and P lineages have been found, the scientists can begin to determine future human infection risks.

“From this study and others that our team has conducted in the past, it has become clear that both chimpanzees and gorillas harbour viruses that are capable of crossing the species barrier to humans and have the potential of cause major disease outbreaks,” said research leader, Dr Martine Peeters at the University of Montpellier.

Paper: http://www.pnas.org/content/112/11/E1343.full.pdf

Author: Craig Blanchard