Molecular characterization of simian lentiviruses from east African green monkeys

Asymptomatic infection with simian lentiviruses (also called simian immunodeficiency viruses, or SIV) is common among feral African green monkeys. To characterize the range of SIV genetic diversity among infected African green monkeys, we have determined nucleotide sequences from complete or partial molecular clones of four distinct SIVagm isolates from Kenya and Ethiopia. The nucleotide and amino acid variability we observed among the SIVagm isolates was greater than the variability within any other group of primate lentiviruses. These data suggest that: a) African green monkeys have been infected with simian lentiviruses for many years; and b) novel and uncharacterized primate lentiviruses may exist in the feral African green monkey population in other parts of Africa.