Abstract
Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) infect many animal species and are associated with lymphoproliferative disorders in some. Previously, we identified several novel GHVs in North American felids; however, a GHV had never been identified in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). We, therefore, hypothesized the existence of an unidentified GHV in lynx. Using degenerate nested and subsequently virus-specific PCR, we amplified and sequenced 3.4 kb of DNA from a novel GHV in lynx, which we named Lynx canadensis gammaherpesvirus 1 (LcaGHV1). Phylogenetic analysis determined that LcaGHV1 is a distinct GHV species belonging to the genus Percavirus. We then estimated the prevalence of LcaGHV1 in lynx by developing a PCR-based assay and detected LcaGHV1 DNA in 36% (95% CI: 22–53%) of lynx spleen DNA samples from Maine, USA and 17% (95% CI: 8–31%) from Newfoundland, Canada. The LcaGHV1 DNA sequences from Maine and Newfoundland lynx were nearly identical to each other (two nucleotide substitutions in 3.4 kb), suggesting that the unique lynx subspecies present on the island of Newfoundland (Lynx canadensis subsolanus) is infected with virus that very closely resembles virus found in mainland lynx. The potential ecologic and pathologic consequences of this novel virus for Canada lynx populations warrant further study.
Highlights
Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) belong to the Herpesviridae family, a large group of double-stranded DNA viruses [1]
A BLAST analysis revealed that this 452 bp GHV glycoprotein B (gB) sequence from the spleen of Maine lynx 17-4019 was distinct from other gB sequences published in GenBank
We identified a novel gammaherpesviral sequence in various tissues of Lynx canadensis and Lynx canadensis subsolanus
Summary
Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) belong to the Herpesviridae family (subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae), a large group of double-stranded DNA viruses [1]. Gammaherpesviruses can be further divided into four genera: Lymphocryptovirus, Macavirus, Rhadinovirus, and Percavirus [1]. Gammaherpesviruses are a widely distributed group of viruses; they have been discovered in a plethora of mammals. Viruses 2019, 11, 363 and even in invertebrates [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. GHVs are well adapted to their specific host and diseases are often mild. The most well characterized diseases caused by GHVs are lymphocyte proliferative disorders [14]
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