SIV_smmPBj14: An Atypical Lentivirus

Abstract

Among the various retrovirus-animal systems currently in use or in development as models for infection and disease induced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the most relevant model is infection of macaque monkeys with simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs). In various macaque species the majority of SIV isolates exhibit a pathogenicity which varies from development of AIDS-like disease and death within 6–12 months, such as SIV_DeltaB67o (Zhang et al. 1988) and SIV_mac239 (Kestler et al. 1990), to long-term asymptomatic infection with slowly progressive disease and survival for as long as 4–5 years, such as SIV_smm9 infection of rhesus monkeys (McClure et al. 1989). These model systems have multiple parallels to HIV infection of humans and have therefore been useful not only for gaining insight into the natural history and pathogenesis of the primate Antiviruses but also for testing antiviral therapies and vaccines. In addition, infection of macaques with pathogenic molecularly cloned SIVs has been particularly valuable in identifying possible roles of accessory genes in disease development (Kestler et al. 1991; Lang et al. 1993) and regions of the genome associated with distinct tropisms and disease states (Desrosiers et al. 1991; Mori et al. 1992).