Potential zoonotic pathogens hosted by endangered bonobos.

Few publications, often limited to one specific pathogen, have studied bonobos (Pan paniscus), our closest living relatives, as possible reservoirs of certain human infectious agents. Here, 91 stool samples from semicaptive bonobos and bonobos reintroduced in the wild, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were screened for different infectious agents: viruses, bacteria and parasites. We showed the presence of potentially zoonotic viral, bacterial or parasitic agents in stool samples, sometimes coinfecting the same individuals.

HLA-B27 Subtypes Predisposing to Ankylosing Spondylitis Accumulate in an Endoplasmic Reticulum-Derived Compartment Apart From the Peptide-Loading Complex.

Objective: It was previously shown that HLA-B27 subtypes predisposing to spondyloarthritis (SpA), i.e., B*27:02, B*27:05, and B*27:07, displayed an increased propensity to form intracellular oligomers and to accumulate at a high density in cytoplasmic vesicles, as compared to the non-SpA-associated HLA-B*07:02 and HLA-B*27:06.

Significant differentiation in the apolipoprotein(a)/lipoprotein(a) trait between chimpanzees from Western and Central Africa.

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) plasma concentrations are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in humans, largely controlled by the LPA gene encoding apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)). Lp(a) is composed of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and apo(a) and restricted to Catarrhini. A variable number of kringle IV (KIV) domains in LPA lead to a size polymorphism of apo(a) that is inversely correlated with Lp(a) concentrations.

Lineage-Specific Changes in Biomarkers in Great Apes and Humans.

Although human biomedical and physiological information is readily available, such information for great apes is limited. We analyzed clinical chemical biomarkers in serum samples from 277 wild- and captive-born great apes and from 312 healthy human volunteers as well as from 20 rhesus macaques. For each individual, we determined a maximum of 33 markers of heart, liver, kidney, thyroid and pancreas function, hemoglobin and lipid metabolism and one marker of inflammation.

Revisiting MHC genes in spondyloarthritis.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) refers to a variety of inflammatory rheumatic disorders with strong heritability. Shared genetic predisposition, as shown by familial aggregation, is largely attributable to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus, which was estimated to account for approximately half of the whole disease heritability. The first predisposing allele identified more than 40 years ago is HLA-B27, which is a major gene predisposing to all forms of SpA.

Long-Term Balancing Selection in LAD1 Maintains a Missense Trans-Species Polymorphism in Humans, Chimpanzees, and Bonobos.

Balancing selection maintains advantageous genetic and phenotypic diversity in populations. When selection acts for long evolutionary periods selected polymorphisms may survive species splits and segregate in present-day populations of different species. Here, we investigate the role of long-term balancing selection in the evolution of protein-coding sequences in the Homo-Pan clade.

HLA-B27 subtype oligomerization and intracellular accumulation patterns correlate with predisposition to spondyloarthritis.

Objective: Mechanisms underlying the striking association of spondyloarthritis (SpA) with the class I major histocompatibility complex molecule HLA-B27 remain poorly understood. SpA-like disease develops spontaneously in B*2705-transgenic rats, in conjunction with high HLA-B27 expression levels. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of increased expression of HLA-B27 alleles that are differentially associated with SpA on oligomerization and intracellular redistribution.

The saliva microbiome of Pan and Homo.

Background: It is increasingly recognized that the bacteria that live in and on the human body (the microbiome) can play an important role in health and disease. The composition of the microbiome is potentially influenced by both internal factors (such as phylogeny and host physiology) and external factors (such as diet and local environment), and interspecific comparisons can aid in understanding the importance of these factors.

Results: To gain insights into the relative importance of these factors on saliva microbiome diversity, we here analyze the saliva microbiomes of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) from two sanctuaries in Africa, and from human workers at each sanctuary.

Comparative population genomics of the ejaculate in humans and the great apes.

The rapid molecular evolution of reproductive genes is nearly ubiquitous across animals, yet the selective forces and functional targets underlying this divergence remain poorly understood. Humans and closely related species of great apes show strongly divergent mating systems, providing a powerful system to investigate the influence of sperm competition on the evolution of reproductive genes. This is complemented by detailed information on male reproductive biology and unparalleled genomic resources in humans.

The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes.

Two African apes are the closest living relatives of humans: the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the bonobo (Pan paniscus). Although they are similar in many respects, bonobos and chimpanzees differ strikingly in key social and sexual behaviours, and for some of these traits they show more similarity with humans than with each other. Here we report the sequencing and assembly of the bonobo genome to study its evolutionary relationship with the chimpanzee and human genomes.

Bonobos fall within the genomic variation of chimpanzees.

To gain insight into the patterns of genetic variation and evolutionary relationships within and between bonobos and chimpanzees, we sequenced 150,000 base pairs of nuclear DNA divided among 15 autosomal regions as well as the complete mitochondrial genomes from 20 bonobos and 58 chimpanzees. Except for western chimpanzees, we found poor genetic separation of chimpanzees based on sample locality. In contrast, bonobos consistently cluster together but fall as a group within the variation of chimpanzees for many of the regions.

On the diversity of malaria parasites in African apes and the origin of Plasmodium falciparum from Bonobos.

The origin of Plasmodium falciparum, the etiological agent of the most dangerous forms of human malaria, remains controversial. Although investigations of homologous parasites in African Apes are crucial to resolve this issue, studies have been restricted to a chimpanzee parasite related to P. falciparum, P.

Dendritic cells from spondylarthritis-prone HLA-B27-transgenic rats display altered cytoskeletal dynamics, class II major histocompatibility complex expression, and viability.

Objective: Spondylarthritis (SpA) is characterized by spinal and peripheral joint inflammation, frequently combined with extraarticular manifestations. Despite the well-established association of SpA with the class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) allele HLA-B27, there are still different, parallel hypotheses on the relationship between HLA-B27 and disease mechanisms. The present study was undertaken to investigate several characteristics of mature dendritic cells (DCs), which are believed to be essential for triggering disease in a model of SpA in HLA-B27-transgenic rats.

Placental retention in a bonobo (Pan paniscus).

Background: This case report describes the first placental retention in an 11-year-old female bonobo (Pan paniscus) following the delivery of a healthy infant.

Methods: After unsuccessful medical treatment with oxytocin, the placenta was manually extracted.

Results And Conclusions: Both the dam and infant survived.

Two HLA-B27 alleles differently associated with spondylarthritis, B*2709 and B*2705, display similar intracellular trafficking and oligomer formation.

Objective: To examine whether and to what extent the intracellular trafficking features of HLA-B*2705, which is associated with the development of spondylarthritis (SpA), differ from those of HLA-B*2709 and HLA-B*0702, which are not associated with SpA.

Methods: HeLa cells were transfected with complementary DNA encoding for HLA-B proteins fused to Renilla luciferase or yellow fluorescent protein. The subcellular distribution of properly folded and unfolded/misfolded HLA-B proteins was examined by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy of cells labeled with ME1 and HC-10 antibodies, respectively.

Alteration of antigen-independent immunologic synapse formation between dendritic cells from HLA-B27-transgenic rats and CD4+ T cells: selective impairment of costimulatory molecule engagement by mature HLA-B27.

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for the reduced capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) from HLA-B27-transgenic rats to form conjugates with naive T cells.

Methods: We monitored interactions between DCs derived from HLA-B27-transgenic, HLA-B7-transgenic control, and nontransgenic rats and naive CD4+ T cells. Chemoattraction was studied in Transwell assays, and the formation of an immunologic synapse was examined by videomicroscopy and electron microscopy.

Fatal inflammatory heart disease in a bonobo (Pan paniscus).

We report the first probable identification of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) in a bonobo (Pan paniscus) that had been part of a forest re-introduction programme. Clinical presentation was of episodic acute on chronic heart failure and cerebral infarction with end-stage renal failure rather than sudden death which is more commonly associated with EMCV infection. A postmortem diagnosis of probable EMCV was made using gross pathological and histopathological examination.

Overexpression of beta2-adrenergic receptors in mouse liver alters the expression of gluconeogenic and glycolytic enzymes.

In the livers of humans and many other mammalian species, beta2-adrenergic receptors (beta2-ARs) play an important role in the modulation of glucose production by glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. In male mice and rats, however, the expression and physiological role of hepatic beta2-ARs are rapidly lost with development under normal physiological conditions. We previously described a line of transgenic mice, F28 (Andre C, Erraji L, Gaston J, Grimber G, Briand P, and Guillet JG.