UNASSIGNED: @entity56987 ( @entity3598 ) is a ubiquitous retrovirus in non- @entity1 primates (NHPs) that can be transmitted to @entity1 , mostly through severe bites. In the past few years, our laboratory has identified more than 50 hunters from Central Africa infected with zoonotic SFVs. Analysis of the complete sequences of five SFVs obtained from these individuals revealed that @entity18341 was the most variable gene. Furthermore, recombinant @entity3598 strains, some of which involve sequences in the @entity18341 gene, have been recently identified. Here, we investigated the variability of the @entity18341 gene of zoonotic @entity3598 strains, and searched for possible recombinants. We sequenced the complete @entity18341 gene or its surface glycoprotein region (SU) from DNA amplified from the blood of: 1) a series of 40 individuals from @entity281 with a @entity17056 or @entity831 FV strain; and 2) one @entity17056 and three infected @entity831 living in the same areas as these hunters. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the existence of two @entity18341 variants among both the @entity17056 and @entity831 FV strains that also were present in zoonotic and NHP strains. These variants differ greatly (more than 30% variability) in a 753 bp long region located in the receptor-binding domain of the SU whereas the rest of the gene is very conserved. Although the organization of @entity18341 protein sequences is similar, the potential glycosylation patterns differ between variants. The analysis of recombination suggests that the variants emerged through recombination events between different strains, although all parental strains could not be identified. IMPORTANCE: @entity3598 infection in @entity1 is a great example of a zoonotic @entity281 that has not spread among @entity1 populations, in contrast to @entity1 @entity465 viruses ( @entity645 ) and @entity1 T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV). Recombination was a major mechanism leading to the emergence of @entity645 . Here, we show that two @entity3598 molecular envelope variants circulate among ape populations in Central Africa and that both can be transmitted to @entity1 . These variants differ greatly in the SU region that corresponds to the part of the @entity18341 protein in contact with the environment. These variants may have emerged through recombination events between @entity3598 strains infecting different NHP species.

Co-circulation of two @entity18341 molecular variants, of possible recombinant origin, in @entity17056 and @entity831 XXXX strains from Central Africa.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['humans', 'human'] @entity18341 :: ('30816', 'Gene') :: ['Env', 'env'] @entity56987 :: ('11642', 'Species') :: ['Simian foamy virus'] @entity3598 :: ('10271', 'Species') :: ['SFV'] @entity17056 :: ('9593', 'Species') :: ['gorilla'] @entity645 :: ('57667', 'Species') :: ['HIV'] @entity831 :: ('9598', 'Species') :: ['chimpanzee', 'chimpanzees'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['Cameroon or Gabon infected', 'retroviral infection'] @entity465 :: ('MESH:D007153', 'Disease') :: ['immunodeficiency']
@entity56987 :: (11642,Species) :: ['simian foamy virus']
