Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Whole Genome Sequencing of Candida glabrata for Detection of Markers of Antifungal Drug Resistance
08:45

Whole Genome Sequencing of Candida glabrata for Detection of Markers of Antifungal Drug Resistance

Published on: December 28, 2017

14.3K

Sooty mangabey genome sequence provides insight into AIDS resistance in a natural SIV host

David Palesch1, Steven E Bosinger1,2, Gregory K Tharp1

  • 1Emory Vaccine Center and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.

Nature
|January 5, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Sooty mangabeys resist simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection due to unique genetic variations in immune genes like toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and intercellular adhesion molecule 2 (ICAM-2), preventing AIDS development.

Area of Science:

  • Comparative genomics
  • Immunology
  • Primate genetics

Background:

  • Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection causes AIDS in macaques and humans, but is non-pathogenic in sooty mangabeys.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of this resistance is crucial for HIV/AIDS research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify host genetic factors in sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) responsible for non-pathogenic SIV infection.
  • To compare the genomes of sooty mangabeys with AIDS-susceptible species.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing and assembly of a captive sooty mangabey.
  • Genome-wide comparative transcriptomic analyses between sooty mangabeys, macaques, and humans.
  • Sequence divergence analysis of immune-related genes.

Main Results:

  • Identified significant sequence divergence in immune-related genes between sooty mangabeys and macaques/humans.
  • Discovered a frameshift mutation in the toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) gene in sooty mangabeys, leading to a blunted response to TLR-4 ligands.
  • Found a structural alteration in intercellular adhesion molecule 2 (ICAM-2) exons 3-4, resulting in reduced cell surface expression.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic variations in TLR4 and ICAM-2 may explain the non-pathogenic SIV infection in sooty mangabeys.
  • These findings provide insights into AIDS pathogenesis and host resistance mechanisms.
  • The sequenced genome serves as a valuable resource for future comparative studies.

More Related Videos

Mass Spectrometry-Guided Genome Mining as a Tool to Uncover Novel Natural Products11:13

Mass Spectrometry-Guided Genome Mining as a Tool to Uncover Novel Natural Products

Published on: March 12, 2020

11.6K
Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites09:31

Amplification, Next-generation Sequencing, and Genomic DNA Mapping of Retroviral Integration Sites

Published on: March 22, 2016

18.4K

Related Concept Videos

Genomics02:02

Genomics

Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
40.9K
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.2K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
37.3K
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
129.9K
Cis-regulatory Sequences02:02

Cis-regulatory Sequences

Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
11.9K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
22.5K