• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Molecular mechanism of cross-species transmission of primate lentiviruses

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
October 7, 2020
in Health
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Principle of lentiviral cross-species transmission leading to the emergence of the AIDS virus

IMAGE

Credit: Kei Sato

Humans are exposed continuously to the menace of viral diseases such as those caused by the Ebola virus, Zika virus and coronaviruses. Such emerging/re-emerging viral outbreaks can be triggered by cross-species viral transmission from wild animals to humans.

To achieve cross-species transmission, new hosts have to be exposed to the virus from the old host. Next, the viruses acquire certain mutations that can be beneficial for replicating in the new hosts. Finally, through sustained transmission in the new host, the viruses adapt further evolving as a new virus in the new host (Figure 1). However, at the outset of this process, the viruses have to overcome “the species barriers”, which hamper viral cross-species transmission. Mammals including humans have “intrinsic immunity” mechanisms that have diverged enough in evolution to erect species barriers to viral transmission.

HIV-1 most likely originated from related precursors found in chimpanzees and gorillas

HIV-1, the causative agent of AIDS, most likely originated from related precursors found in chimpanzees (SIVcpz) and gorillas (SIVgor), approximately 100 years ago (Figure 2).

Additionally, SIVgor most likely emerged through the cross-species jump of SIVcpz from chimpanzees to gorillas (Figure 2).

However, it remains unclear how primate lentiviruses successfully transmitted among different species. To limit cross-species lentiviral transmission, cellular “intrinsic immunity”, including APOBEC3 proteins potentially inhibit lentiviral replication. In contrast, primate lentiviruses in this evolutionary “arms race” have acquired their own “weapon”, viral infectivity factor (Vif), to antagonize the antiviral effect of restriction factors.

Suggesting that a great ape APOBEC3 protein can potentially restrict the cross-species transmission of great ape lentiviruses

A research group at The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (IMSUT) showed that gorilla APOBEC3G potentially plays a role in inhibiting SIVcpz replication. Intriguingly, the research group demonstrated that an amino acid substitution in SIVcpz Vif, M16E, is sufficient to overcome gorilla APOBEC3G-mediated restriction.

“To our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting that a great ape APOBEC3 protein can potentially restrict the cross-species transmission of great ape lentiviruses and how lentiviruses overcame this species barrier. Moreover, this is the first investigation elucidating the molecular mechanism by which great ape lentiviruses achieve cross-species transmission”, said the lead scientist, Kei Sato, Associate Professor (Principal Investigator) in the Division of Systems Virology, Department of Infectious Disease Control, IMSUT.

###

Media Contact
Kei Sato
[email protected]

Original Source

https://www.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp/imsut/en/about/press/page_00020.html

Tags: AIDS/HIVBiodiversityBiologyEvolutionVirology
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Perillaldehyde Reduces Insulin Resistance in Trophoblasts

October 28, 2025

CREB5 Drives Cervical Cancer Nodal Metastasis via APLN

October 28, 2025

New Study Reveals Critical Opportunities to Enhance Singapore’s Children’s Mental Health Ecosystem

October 28, 2025

Enhancing Eating Disorder Care: Insights and Innovations

October 28, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Sperm MicroRNAs: Crucial Mediators of Paternal Exercise Capacity Transmission

    1287 shares
    Share 514 Tweet 321
  • Stinkbug Leg Organ Hosts Symbiotic Fungi That Protect Eggs from Parasitic Wasps

    310 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
  • ESMO 2025: mRNA COVID Vaccines Enhance Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy

    197 shares
    Share 79 Tweet 49
  • New Study Suggests ALS and MS May Stem from Common Environmental Factor

    135 shares
    Share 54 Tweet 34

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Advancing Lithium-Ion Battery Health Estimation with AI

Perillaldehyde Reduces Insulin Resistance in Trophoblasts

CREB5 Drives Cervical Cancer Nodal Metastasis via APLN

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 67 other subscribers
  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.