Worldwide circulation of HSV-2 × HSV-1 recombinant strains
Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2017 papers
Abstract
Homo sapiens harbor two distinct, medically significant species of simplexviruses, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and HSV-2, with estimated divergence 6-8 million years ago (MYA). Unexpectedly, we found that circulating HSV-2 strains can contain HSV-1 DNA segments in three distinct genes. Using over 150 genital swabs from North and South America and Africa, we detected recombinants worldwide. Common, widely distributed gene UL39 genotypes are parsimoniously explained by an initial >457 basepair (bp) HSV-1 × HSV-2 crossover followed by back-recombination to HSV-2. Blocks of >244 and >539 bp of HSV-1 DNA within genes UL29 and UL30, respectively, have reached near fixation, with a minority of strains retaining sequences we posit as ancestral HSV-2. Our data add to previous in vitro and animal work, implying that in vivo cellular co-infection with HSV-1 and HSV-2 yields viable interspecies recombinants in the natural human host.
Related Papers
- → Comparative Evaluation of AmpliVue HSV 1+2 Assay with ELVIS Culture for Detecting Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 in Clinical Specimens(2015)19 cited
- → Herpes simplex virus (HSV)(2010)7 cited
- → Immunocytochemical studies of herpes simplex virus infected cells.(1986)2 cited
- → Faculty Opinions recommendation of Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) establishes latent infection in a different population of ganglionic neurons than HSV-1: role of latency-associated transcripts.(2007)
- → Effects of anti-herpetic drugs on ultrastructural localization of herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein D in cultured cells infected with HSV(1990)