Complex evolutionary history of primate lentiviral vpr genes

Vpx and Vpr are homologous proteins encoded by the human and simian immunodeficiency viruses. Vpr is encoded by each of the five primate lentiviral groups, whereas Vpx is restricted to members of the HIV-2 group. A recent report has proposed that the vpx gene was probably acquired from an ancestral member of the SIVagm group by nonhomologous recombination. Here, we suggest that this transfer event was more likely to have occurred via homologous recombination within the 3' region of another gene, vif. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis strongly suggests that there have been at least two other horizontal transfer events involving these genes: the first between ancestral members of the HIV-1 and HIV-2 groups, and the second between viruses isolated from the vervet and tantalus subspecies of African green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops ssp).