Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4

Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Duplodnaviria
Kingdom:	Heunggongvirae
Phylum:	Peploviricota
Class:	Herviviricetes
Order:	Herpesvirales
Family:	Orthoherpesviridae
Genus:	Lymphocryptovirus
Species:	Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4
Synonyms
	Rhesus lymphocryptovirus; Cercopithecine herpesvirus 15; Rhesus HHV-4-like virus; Rhesus Epstein Barr virus; Rhesus EBV-like herpesvirus;

Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4 (McHV-4), commonly known as rhesus lymphocryptovirus (RLV), is a species of virus in the genus Lymphocryptovirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales.^[1]

In nature, Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4 infects rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Comparison with Human gammaherpesvirus 4

Its genetic structure has been fully sequenced and found to be highly homologous with that of Human gammaherpesvirus 4, commonly known as Epstein-Barr virus, at 65%. The structural proteins are highly conserved, while genes expressed during Human gammaherpesvirus 4 latent infection are much less well conserved. Even in cases where genes have low homology, the Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4 infection genes are functionally interchangeable with Human gammaherpesvirus 4 genes.^[2]

Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4 infection in rhesus monkeys resembles Human gammaherpesvirus 4 infection in humans in several respects:

Oral transmission,
Atypical lymphocytosis
Lymphadenopathy
Activation of CD23+ peripheral blood B cells
Sustained serologic responses to lytic and latent Human gammaherpesvirus 4 antigens
Latent infection in the peripheral blood
Virus persistence in oropharyngeal secretions

These features make the rhesus lymphocryptovirus potentially useful for studying the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of Human gammaherpesvirus 4 infection and associated oncogenesis.^[3]

References

^ "ICTV Master Species List 2018b.v2". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Retrieved 19 June 2019.^{[dead link‍]}
^ Rivailler P, Jiang H, Cho YG, Quink C, Wang F (2002). "Complete nucleotide sequence of the rhesus lymphocryptovirus: genetic validation for an Epstein-Barr virus animal model". J. Virol. 76 (1): 421–6. doi:10.1128/jvi.76.1.421-426.2002. PMC 135707. PMID 11739708.
^ Amir Moghaddam; Michael Rosenzweig; David Lee-Parritz; Bethany Annis; R. Paul Johnson; Fred Wang (1997). "An Animal Model for Acute and Persistent Epstein-Barr Virus Infection". Science. 276 (5321): 2030–2033. doi:10.1126/science.276.5321.2030. PMID 9197263.