Publications

female and male life tables for seven wild primate species.	we provide male and female census count data, age-specific survivorship, and female age-specific fertility estimates for populations of seven wild primates that have been continuously monitored for at least 29 years: sifaka (propithecus verreauxi) in madagascar; muriqui (brachyteles hypoxanthus) in brazil; capuchin (cebus capucinus) in costa rica; baboon (papio cynocephalus) and blue monkey (cercopithecus mitis) in kenya; chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) in tanzania; and gorilla (gorilla beringei) i ...	2016	26928014
complete genome sequence of streptococcus troglodytae tku31 isolated from the oral cavity of a chimpanzee (pan troglodytes).	streptococcus troglodytae tku31 was isolated from the oral cavity of a chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) and was found to be the most closely related species of the mutans group streptococci to streptococcus mutans. the complete sequence of tku31 genome consists of a single circular chromosome that is 2,097,874 base pairs long and has a g + c content of 37.18%. it possesses 2082 coding sequences (cdss), 65 trnas and five rrna operons (15 rrnas). two clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic r ...	2016	27921343
strongyloides infections of humans and great apes in dzanga-sangha protected areas, central african republic and in degraded forest fragments in bulindi, uganda.	dna sequence analysis was carried out on strongyloides spp. larvae obtained from fecal samples of local humans, a wild western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) and a central chimpanzee (pan troglodytes troglodytes) inhabiting dzanga-sangha protected areas (dspa), central african republic, and eastern chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living in degraded forest fragments on farmland in bulindi, uganda. from humans, both strongyloides fuelleborni and strongyloides stercoralis we ...	2016	27180094
morbid attraction to leopard urine in toxoplasma-infected chimpanzees.	parasites are sometimes capable of inducing phenotypic changes in their hosts to improve transmission [1]. toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan that infects a broad range of warm-blooded species, is one example that supports the so-called 'parasite manipulation hypothesis': it induces modifications in rodents' olfactory preferences, converting an innate aversion for cat odor into attraction and probably favoring trophic transmission to feline species, its only definitive hosts [2]. in humans, t. gondi ...	2016	26859275
blood transmission studies of prion infectivity in the squirrel monkey (saimiri sciureus): the baxter study.	four secondary transmissions of variant creutzfeldt-jakob disease (vcjd) infectivity have been associated with the transfusion of nonleukoreduced red blood cells collected from vcjd patients during the asymptomatic phase of the disease. establishing efficient experimental models for assessing the risk of future transmissions of vcjd infectivity via blood transfusion is of paramount importance in view of a study of archived appendix samples in which the prevalence of asymptomatic vcjd infection i ...	2016	26594017
beyond primates: research protections and animal moral value.	should monkeys be used in painful and often deadly infectious disease research that may save many human lives? this is the challenging question that anne barnhill, steven joffe, and franklin g. miller take on in their carefully argued and compelling article "the ethics of infection challenges in primates." the authors offer a nuanced and even-handed position that takes philosophical worries about nonhuman primate moral status seriously and still appreciates the very real value of such research f ...	2016	27417867
safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of prime-boost vaccination with chad63 and mva encoding me-trap against plasmodium falciparum infection in adults in senegal.	malaria transmission is in decline in some parts of africa, partly due to the scaling up of control measures. if the goal of elimination is to be achieved, additional control measures including an effective and durable vaccine will be required. studies utilising the prime-boost approach to deliver viral vectors encoding the pre-erythrocytic antigen me-trap (multiple epitope thrombospondin-related adhesion protein) have shown promising safety, immunogenicity and efficacy in sporozoite challenge s ...	2016	27978537
baculovirus-expressed plasmodium reichenowi eba-140 merozoite ligand is host specific.	plasmodium reichenowi, an ape malaria parasite is morphologically identical and genetically similar to plasmodium falciparum, infects chimpanzees but not humans. genomic studies revealed that all primate malaria parasites belong to laverania subgenus. laverania parasites exhibit strict host specificity, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these host restrictions remain unexplained. plasmodium merozoites express multiple binding ligands that recognize specific receptors on erythrocytes, inclu ...	2016	27443851
use of chad3-ebo-z ebola virus vaccine in malian and us adults, and boosting of malian adults with mva-bn-filo: a phase 1, single-blind, randomised trial, a phase 1b, open-label and double-blind, dose-escalation trial, and a nested, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.	the 2014 west african zaire ebola virus epidemic prompted worldwide partners to accelerate clinical development of replication-defective chimpanzee adenovirus 3 vector vaccine expressing zaire ebola virus glycoprotein (chad3-ebo-z). we aimed to investigate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of chad3-ebo-z in malian and us adults, and assess the effect of boosting of malians with modified vaccinia ankara expressing zaire ebola virus glycoprotein and other filovirus antigens (mva-bn-filo ...	2016	26546548
oesophagostomiasis in non-human primates of gombe national park, tanzania.	oesophagostomum sp. is a parasitic nematode that frequently infects wild chimpanzees. although nodular lesions are commonly associated with infection, some wild chimpanzee populations seem to tolerate oesophagostomum nodular lesions while those at gombe and other sites suffer from associated morbidity and mortality. from august 2004 to december 2013, we examined demographic (i.e., age, sex) and individual correlates (i.e., fecal consistency, oesophagostomum egg production) to oesophagostomum-ass ...	2016	27309976
a comparative molecular survey of malaria prevalence among eastern chimpanzee populations in issa valley (tanzania) and kalinzu (uganda).	habitat types can affect vector and pathogen distribution and transmission dynamics. the prevalence and genetic diversity of plasmodium spp. in two eastern chimpanzee populations-kalinzu forest reserve, uganda and issa valley, tanzania-inhabiting different habitat types was investigated. as a follow up study the effect of host sex and age on infections patterns in kalinzu forest reserve chimpanzees was determined.	2016	27543045
the host specificity of ape malaria parasites can be broken in confined environments.	recent studies have revealed a large diversity of plasmodium spp. among african great apes. some of these species are related to plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria (subgenus laverania), and others to plasmodium ovale, plasmodium malariae and plasmodium vivax (subgenus plasmodium), three other human malaria agents. laverania parasites exhibit strict host specificity in their natural environment. plasmodium reichenowi, plasmodium billcollinsi, plasmodium billbrayi and ...	2016	27486075
noninvasive tuberculosis screening in free-living primate populations in gombe national park, tanzania.	recent advances in noninvasive detection methods for mycobacterial infection in primates create new opportunities for exploring the epidemiology of tuberculosis in free-living species. chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and baboons (papio anubis) in gombe national park, tanzania, were screened for infection with pathogens of the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex using fecal is6110 pcr; none was positive. this study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale mycobacterial screening in ...	2016	26419483
multigenomic delineation of plasmodium species of the laverania subgenus infecting wild-living chimpanzees and gorillas.	plasmodium falciparum, the major cause of malaria morbidity and mortality worldwide, is only distantly related to other human malaria parasites and has thus been placed in a separate subgenus, termed laverania parasites morphologically similar to p. falciparum have been identified in african apes, but only one other laverania species, plasmodium reichenowi from chimpanzees, has been formally described. although recent studies have pointed to the existence of additional laverania species, their p ...	2016	27289102
why are nigeria-cameroon chimpanzees (pan troglodytes ellioti) free of sivcpz infection?	simian immunodeficiency virus (siv) naturally infects two subspecies of chimpanzee: pan troglodytes troglodytes from central africa (sivcpzptt) and p. t. schweinfurtii from east africa (sivcpzpts), but is absent in p. t. verus from west africa and appears to be absent in p. t. ellioti inhabiting nigeria and western cameroon. one explanation for this pattern is that p. t. troglodytes and p. t schweinfurthii may have acquired sivcpz after their divergence from p. t. verus and p. t. ellioti. howeve ...	2016	27505066
a new sensitive indicator cell line reveals cross-transactivation of the viral ltr by gorilla and chimpanzee simian foamy viruses.	the majority of currently identified simian foamy virus (sfv)-infected cameroonian and gabonese individuals harbor sfv from the gorilla lineage. we constructed an indicator cell line for the quantification of gorilla sfvs, in which the u3 sequence of a gorilla sfv directs the expression of the β-galactosidase protein. the gorilla foamy virus activated β-galactosidase (gfab) cells efficiently quantified two zoonotic primary gorilla isolates and sfvs from three chimpanzee subspecies. primary goril ...	2016	27348053
potency of a thermostabilised chimpanzee adenovirus rift valley fever vaccine in cattle.	development of safe and efficacious vaccines whose potency is unaffected by long-term storage at ambient temperature would obviate major vaccine deployment hurdles and limit wastage associated with breaks in the vaccine cold chain. here, we evaluated the immunogenicity of a novel chimpanzee adenovirus vectored rift valley fever vaccine (chadox1-gngc) in cattle, following its thermostabilisation by slow desiccation on glass fiber membranes in the non-reducing sugars trehalose and sucrose. thermos ...	2016	27020712
chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine provides multispecies protection against rift valley fever.	rift valley fever virus (rvfv) causes recurrent outbreaks of acute life-threatening human and livestock illness in africa and the arabian peninsula. no licensed vaccines are currently available for humans and those widely used in livestock have major safety concerns. a 'one health' vaccine development approach, in which the same vaccine is co-developed for multiple susceptible species, is an attractive strategy for rvfv. here, we utilized a replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine pla ...	2016	26847478
socioecological correlates of clinical signs in two communities of wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) at gombe national park, tanzania.	disease and other health hazards pose serious threats to the persistence of wild ape populations. the total chimpanzee population at gombe national park, tanzania, has declined from an estimated 120 to 150 individuals in the 1960's to around 100 individuals by the end of 2013, with death associated with observable signs of disease as the leading cause of mortality. in 2004, we began a non-invasive health-monitoring program in the two habituated communities in the park (kasekela and mitumba) with ...	2016	27182786
schistosoma mansoni in gabon: emerging or ignored?	schistosomiasis affects millions of people across africa. we detected eggs of schistosoma mansoni in western lowland gorilla and central chimpanzee fecal samples in loango national park, gabon. we analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial dna, namely internal transcribed spacer and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 fragments, and the resulting maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses and haplotype network of the its and coi, respectively, showed that the samples from gorillas and chimpanzees clustered cle ...	2016	27503513
how chimpanzees integrate sensory information to select figs.	figs are keystone resources that sustain chimpanzees when preferred fruits are scarce. many figs retain a green(ish) colour throughout development, a pattern that causes chimpanzees to evaluate edibility on the basis of achromatic accessory cues. such behaviour is conspicuous because it entails a succession of discrete sensory assessments, including the deliberate palpation of individual figs, a task that requires advanced visuomotor control. these actions are strongly suggestive of domain-speci ...	2016	27274803
pre-columbian monkey tools.	stone tools reveal worldwide innovations in human behaviour over the past three million years [1]. however, the only archaeological report of pre-modern non-human animal tool use comes from three western chimpanzee (pan troglodytes verus) sites in côte d'ivoire, aged between 4.3 and 1.3 thousand years ago (kya) [2]. this anthropocentrism limits our comparative insight into the emergence and development of technology, weakening our evolutionary models [3]. here, we apply archaeological techniques ...	2016	27404235
the stable isotope ecology of pan in uganda and beyond.	stable isotope analysis has long been used to study the dietary ecology of living and fossil primates, and there has been increasing interest in using stable isotopes to study primate habitat use and anthropogenic impacts on non-human primates. here, we examine the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) from seven communities in uganda across a continuum of habitat structure (closed to more open) and access to anthropogenic resources (no reliance to heav ...	2016	27188271
complex processing of prickly pear cactus (opuntia sp.) by free-ranging long-tailed macaques: preliminary analysis for hierarchical organisation.	complex food-processing techniques by gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans have allowed comparisons of complex hierarchical cognition between great apes and humans. here, we analyse preliminary observations of free-ranging long-tailed macaques (macaca fascicularis) (n = 3) in thailand processing opuntia sp. cactus fruits. from our observations, we suggest that there is potential to extend the analyses of hierarchical cognition to old world monkeys. we found that the macaques used six behavioura ...	2016	26921023
franco-japanese and other collaborative contributions to understanding chimpanzee culture at bossou and the nimba mountains.	the japanese approach to science has permitted theoretical leaps in our understanding of culture in non-human animals and challenged human uniqueness, as it is not embedded in the western traditional dualisms of human/animal and nature/culture. this paper highlights the value of an interdisciplinary approach and combining methodological approaches in exploring putative cultural variation among chimpanzees. i focus particularly on driver ants (dorylus sp.) and oil palm (elaeis guineensis) consump ...	2016	27083926
molecular characterization of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-8 in asian elephant (elephas maximus).	interleukin (il)-1β and il-8 are pro-inflammatory cytokines produced primarily by monocytes and macrophages in response to a variety of microbial and nonmicrobial agents. as yet, no molecular data have been reported for il-1β and il-8 of the asian elephant. in the present study, we have cloned and sequenced the cdna encoding il-1β and il-8 of the asian elephant. the open reading frame (orf) of asian elephant il-1β is 789 bp in length, encoded a propeptide of 263 amino acid polypeptide. the predi ...	2016	26849252
sex-linked markers in the north american green frog (rana clamitans) developed using dartseq provide early insight into sex chromosome evolution.	the extent to which sex reversal is associated with transitions in sex determining systems (xx-xy, zz-zw, etc.) or abnormal sexual differentiation is predominantly unexplored in amphibians. this is in large part because most amphibian taxa have homomorphic sex chromosomes, which has traditionally made it challenging to identify discordance between phenotypic and genetic sex in amphibians, despite all amphibians having a genetic component to sex determination. recent advances in molecular techniq ...	2016	27793086
pseudo-reference-based assembly of vertebrate transcriptomes.	high-throughput rna sequencing (rna-seq) provides a comprehensive picture of the transcriptome, including the identity, structure, quantity, and variability of expressed transcripts in cells, through the assembly of sequenced short rna-seq reads. although the reference-based approach guarantees the high quality of the resulting transcriptome, this approach is only applicable when the relevant reference genome is present. here, we developed a pseudo-reference-based assembly (pra) that reconstruct ...	2016	26927182
comparative isotope ecology of african great apes.	the isotope ecology of great apes is a useful reference for palaeodietary reconstructions in fossil hominins. as extant apes live in c3-dominated habitats, variation in isotope signatures is assumed to be low compared to hominoids exploiting c4-plant resources. however, isotopic differences between sites and between and within individuals are poorly understood due to the lack of vegetation baseline data. in this comparative study, we included all species of free-ranging african great apes (pan t ...	2016	27886808
mammals consumed by bonobos (pan paniscus): new data from the iyondji forest, tshuapa, democratic republic of the congo.	findings of regional variations in the behavioral patterns of non-human primates have led to the vigorous study of animal traditions (or culture), which contribute to a biological understanding of diversity in human cultures. although our knowledge of behavioral variations of the bonobo (pan paniscus) is limited compared with its sister species, the chimpanzee (p. troglodytes), variations in the prey of this species have been reported across study sites. this study describes evidence of mammals ...	2016	26968409
accuracy of human and veterinary point-of-care glucometers for use in rhesus macaques (macaca mulatta), sooty mangabeys (cercocebus atys), and chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).	handheld, point-of-care glucometers are commonly used in nhp for clinical and research purposes, but whether these devices are appropriate for use in nhp is unknown. other animal studies indicate that glucometers should be species-specific, given differences in glucose distribution between rbc and plasma; in addition, hct and sampling site (venous compared with capillary) influence glucometer readings. therefore, we compared the accuracy of 2 human and 2 veterinary glucometers at various hct ran ...	2016	27177571
exploring the evolutionary origins of overimitation: a comparison across domesticated and non-domesticated canids.	when learning from others, human children tend to faithfully copy - or 'overimitate' - the actions of a demonstrator, even when these actions are irrelevant for solving the task at hand. we investigate whether domesticated dogs (canis familiaris) and dingoes (canis dingo) share this tendency to overimitate in three experiments. in experiment 1, dogs and dingoes had the opportunity to solve a puzzle after watching an ostensive demonstrator who used both a relevant action and an irrelevant action. ...	2016	27659592
do domestic dogs (canis lupus familiaris) perceive the delboeuf illusion?	in the last decade, visual illusions have been repeatedly used as a tool to compare visual perception among species. several studies have investigated whether non-human primates perceive visual illusions in a human-like fashion, but little attention has been paid to other mammals, and sensitivity to visual illusions has been never investigated in the dog. here, we studied whether domestic dogs perceive the delboeuf illusion. in human and non-human primates, this illusion creates a misperception ...	2016	27999956
the fecal virome of south and central american children with diarrhea includes small circular dna viral genomes of unknown origin.	viral metagenomics of feces collected from 58 peruvian children with unexplained diarrhea revealed several small circular ssdna genomes. two genomes related to sequences previously reported in feces from chimpanzees and other mammals and recently named smacoviruses were characterized and then detected by pcr in 1.7 % (1/58) and 19 % (11/58) of diarrheal samples, respectively. another three genomes from a distinct small circular ssdna viral group provisionally called pecoviruses encoded cap and r ...	2016	26780893
ravens attribute visual access to unseen competitors.	recent studies purported to demonstrate that chimpanzees, monkeys and corvids possess a basic theory of mind, the ability to attribute mental states like seeing to others. however, these studies remain controversial because they share a common confound: the conspecific's line of gaze, which could serve as an associative cue. here, we show that ravens corvus corax take into account the visual access of others, even when they cannot see a conspecific. specifically, we find that ravens guard their ...	2016	26835849
territorial and land-use rights perspectives on human-chimpanzee-elephant coexistence in west africa (guinea, guinea-bissau, senegal, nineteenth to twenty-first centuries).	the first part of this article compares the distribution of chimpanzee and elephant populations in reaction to human territorial dynamics of west african trade in parts of nineteenth century guinea, guinea-bissau and senegal. it answers for this specific region the question of whether present-day situations of close chimpanzee-human spatial proximity are stable or only temporary phenomena in long-term processes of environmental change, and shows that conservation policies centred on either of th ...	2016	27038218
primary bone microanatomy records developmental aspects of life history in catarrhine primates.	a central challenge in human origins research is to understand how evolution has shaped modern human life history. as fossilized remains of our ancestors provide the only direct evidence for life history evolution, efforts to reconstruct life history in paleontological contexts have focused on hard tissues, particularly on dental development. however, among investigators of other vertebrate groups, there is a long tradition of examining primary bone microstructure to decipher growth rates and ma ...	2016	26989017
high-throughput rna sequencing reveals structural differences of orthologous brain-expressed genes between western lowland gorillas and humans.	the human brain and human cognitive abilities are strikingly different from those of other great apes despite relatively modest genome sequence divergence. however, little is presently known about the interspecies divergence in gene structure and transcription that might contribute to these phenotypic differences. to date, most comparative studies of gene structure in the brain have examined humans, chimpanzees, and macaque monkeys. to add to this body of knowledge, we analyze here the brain tra ...	2016	26132897
differences in between-reinforcer value modulate the selective-value effect in great apes (pan troglodytes, p. paniscus, gorilla gorilla, pongo abelii).	we investigated how apes allocated their choices between 2 food options that varied in terms of their quantity and quality. experiment 1 tested whether subjects preferred an ab option over an a option, where the a item is preferred to the b item (e.g., apple + carrot vs. apple). additionally, we tested whether the length of the intertrial interval (iti) affected subjects' choices. five orangutans, 4 gorillas, 7 bonobos, and 10 chimpanzees received 3 types of trials: preference (a vs. b), quantit ...	2016	26460854
brief communication: skeletal and dental development in a sub-adult western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla).	non-human primate growth trajectories are often used to estimate the age and life history traits of fossil taxa. the exclusive use of chimpanzee growth patterns to estimate developmental stages for the earliest hominins is problematic because incomplete lineage sorting in the hominoid clade has produced a mosaic human genome that contains different regions shared with any one of the great apes. the accidental death of a sub-adult male western lowland gorilla (gorilla gorilla gorilla) provides no ...	2016	26388192
chlamydia-related bacteria in free-living and captive great apes, gabon.		2016	27869611
a systematic review of the literature relating to captive great ape morbidity and mortality.	wild bonobos (pan paniscus), chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), western gorillas (gorilla gorilla), and orangutans (pongo pygmaeus, pongo abelii) are threatened with extinction. in order to help maintain a self-sustaining zoo population, clinicians require a sound understanding of the diseases with which they might be presented. to provide an up-to-date perspective on great ape morbidity and mortality, a systematic review of the zoological and veterinary literature of great apes from 1990 to 2014 wa ...	2016	27691977
integrating occurrence and detectability patterns based on interview data: a case study for threatened mammals in equatorial guinea.	occurrence models that account for imperfect detection of species are increasingly used for estimating geographical range, for determining species-landscape relations and to prioritize conservation actions worldwide. in 2010, we conducted a large-scale survey in río muni, the mainland territory of equatorial guinea, which aimed to estimate the probabilities of occurrence and detection of threatened mammals based on environmental covariates, and to identify priority areas for conservation. interv ...	2016	27666671
structure and evolution of the gorilla and orangutan growth hormone loci.	in primates, the unigenic growth hormone (gh) locus of prosimians expressed primarily in the anterior pituitary, evolved by gene duplications, independently in new world monkeys (nwm) and old world monkeys (owms)/apes, to give complex clusters of genes expressed in the pituitary and placenta. in human and chimpanzee, the gh locus comprises five genes, gh-n being expressed as pituitary gh, whereas gh-v (placental gh) and cshs (chorionic somatomammotropins) are expressed (in human and probably chi ...	2016	27376725
great apes and children infer causal relations from patterns of variation and covariation.	we investigated whether nonhuman great apes (n=23), 2.5-year-old (n=20), and 3-year-old children (n=40) infer causal relations from patterns of variation and covariation by adapting the blicket detector paradigm for apes. we presented chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), bonobos (pan paniscus), orangutans (pongo abelii), gorillas (gorilla gorilla), and children (homo sapiens) with a novel reward dispenser, the blicket detector. the detector was activated by inserting specific (yet randomly determined) ...	2016	27343481
conarticular congruence of the hominoid subtalar joint complex with implications for joint function in plio-pleistocene hominins.	the purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that conarticular surfaces areas and curvatures are correlates of mobility at the hominoid talocalcaneal and talonavicular joints.	2016	27000377
trabecular architecture in the stw 352 fossil hominin calcaneus.	australopithecus africanus has been interpreted as having a rigid lateral foot. one mechanism contributing to a rigid foot during push-off in humans is a calcaneocuboid joint (ccj) with limited dorsiflexion and a "close-packed" talocalcaneal joint (tcj). in contrast, apes likely have a greater ccj range of motion and lack a close-packed tcj. differences in tarsal arthrokinematics may result in different joint loading environments. in homo sapiens, we tested the hypothesis that dorsal and plantar ...	2016	27457551
food-associated calling in gorillas (gorilla g. gorilla) in the wild.	many nonhuman primates produce food-associated vocalizations upon encountering or ingesting particular food. concerning the great apes, only food-associated vocalizations of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and bonobos (pan paniscus) have been studied in detail, providing evidence that these vocalizations can be produced flexibly in relation to a variety of factors, such as the quantity and quality of food and/or the type of audience. only anecdotal evidence exists of eastern (gorilla beringei) and ...	2016	26909518
complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the eastern gorilla (gorilla beringei) and implications for african ape biogeography.	the western and eastern species of gorillas (gorilla gorilla and gorilla beringei) began diverging in the mid-pleistocene, but in a complex pattern with ongoing gene flow following their initial split. we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of 1 eastern and 1 western gorilla to provide the most accurate date for their mitochondrial divergence, and to analyze patterns of nucleotide substitutions. the most recent common ancestor of these genomes existed about 1.9 million years ago, slight ...	2016	25189777
the ethics of infection challenges in primates.	in the midst of the recent ebola outbreak, scientific developments involving infection challenge experiments on nonhuman primates (nhps) sparked hope that successful treatments and vaccines may soon become available. yet these studies pose a stark ethical quandary. on the one hand, they represent an important step in developing novel therapies and vaccines for ebola and the marburg virus, with the potential to save thousands of human lives and to protect whole communities from devastation; on th ...	2016	27417865
respiratory syncytial virus - more chimera than chimpanzee?		2016	26906878
t cell interleukin-15 surface expression in chimpanzees infected with human immunodeficiency virus.	interleukin-15 (il-15) contributes to natural killer cell development and immune regulation. however, il-15 and interferon-gamma (ifn-γ) production are significantly reduced during progression to aids. we have previously reported that hiv infected chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) express cd3-cd8+ ifn-γ+ natural killer (nk) cells with an inverse correlation to plasma hiv viral load. to expand on our initial study, we examined a larger population of hiv infected chimpanzees (n=10). whole blood flow c ...	2016	24565973
viral metagenomics of fecal samples from non-human primates revealed human astrovirus in a chimpanzee, china.	human astroviruses (hastvs) are commonly identified worldwide as important aetiological agents of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups. more and more evidences challenged the paradigm that astv infections are species-specific. yet to date, astvs associated with human infections have not been detected in any animal hosts.	2016	27826361
non-human primate schlafen11 inhibits production of both host and viral proteins.	schlafen11 (encoded by the slfn11 gene) has been shown to inhibit the accumulation of hiv-1 proteins. we show that the slfn11 gene is under positive selection in simian primates and is species-specific in its activity against hiv-1. the activity of human schlafen11 is relatively weak compared to that of some other primate versions of this protein, with the versions encoded by chimpanzee, orangutan, gibbon, and marmoset being particularly potent inhibitors of hiv-1 protein production. interesting ...	2016	28027315
ion channel activity of vpu proteins is conserved throughout evolution of hiv-1 and siv.	the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) protein vpu is encoded exclusively by hiv-1 and related simian immunodeficiency viruses (sivs). the transmembrane domain of the protein has dual functions: it counteracts the human restriction factor tetherin and forms a cation channel. since these two functions are causally unrelated it remains unclear whether the channel activity has any relevance for viral release and replication. here we examine structure and function correlates of different vp ...	2016	27916968
beyond the cut hunter: a historical epidemiology of hiv beginnings in central africa.	in the absence of direct evidence, an imagined "cut hunter" stands in for the index patient of pandemic hiv/aids. during the early years of colonial rule, this explanation goes, a hunter was cut or injured from hunting or butchering a chimpanzee infected with simian immunodeficiency virus, resulting in the first sustained human infection with the virus that would emerge as hiv-1m. we argue here that the "cut hunter" relies on a historical misunderstanding and ecological oversimplification of hum ...	2016	27718030
effect of hiv-1 envelope cytoplasmic tail on adenovirus primed virus encoded virus-like particle immunizations.	the low number of envelope (env) spikes presented on native hiv-1 particles is a major impediment for hiv-1 prophylactic vaccine development. we designed virus-like particle encoding adenoviral vectors utilizing sivmac239 gag as an anchor for full length and truncated hiv-1 m consensus env. truncated env overexpressed vrc01 and 17b binding antigen on the surface of transduced cells while the full length env vaccine presented more and similar amounts of antigen binding to the trimer conformation ...	2016	27633665
a truncated nef peptide from sivcpz inhibits the production of hiv-1 infectious progeny.	nef proteins from all primate lentiviruses, including the simian immunodeficiency virus of chimpanzees (sivcpz), increase viral progeny infectivity. however, the function of nef involved with the increase in viral infectivity is still not completely understood. nonetheless, until now, studies investigating the functions of nef from sivcpz have been conducted in the context of the hiv-1 proviruses. in an attempt to investigate the role played by nef during the replication cycle of an sivcpz, a ne ...	2016	27399760
novel conserved-region t-cell mosaic vaccine with high global hiv-1 coverage is recognized by protective responses in untreated infection.	an effective human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) vaccine is the best solution for halting the acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic. here, we describe the design and preclinical immunogenicity of t-cell vaccine expressing novel immunogens thivconsvx, vectored by dna, simian (chimpanzee) adenovirus, and poxvirus modified vaccinia virus ankara (mva), a combination highly immunogenic in humans. the thivconsvx immunogens combine the three leading strategies for elicitation of effectiv ...	2016	26743582
virus-specific cellular response in hepatitis c virus infection.	studies performed on chimpanzees and humans have revealed that strong, multispecific and sustained cd4(+) and cd8(+) t cell immune responses is a major determinant of hepatitis c virus (hcv) clearance. however, spontaneous elimination of the virus occurs in minority of infected individuals and cellular response directed against hcv antigens is not persistent in individuals with chronic infection. this review presents characteristics of the hcv-specific t cell response in patients with different ...	2016	26429740
hepatitis c virus infection treatment: an era of game changer direct acting antivirals and novel treatment strategies.	chronic hepatitis c virus infection and associated liver diseases represent a major health care burden all over the world. the current standard of care, i.e. peginterferon-alfa (peg-ifnα) plus ribavirin (rbv) are associated with frequent and sometimes serious adverse effects and contraindications, which further limit their therapeutic efficacy. the approval of first and second generation hcv protease inhibitors represents a major breakthrough in the development of novel direct acting antivirals ...	2016	25373616
recapitulating cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus sivcpz to humans by using humanized blt mice.	the origins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) have been widely accepted to be the consequences of simian immunodeficiency viruses from wild chimpanzees (sivcpz) crossing over to humans. however, there has not been any in vivo study of sivcpz infection of humans. also, it remains largely unknown why only specific sivcpz strains have achieved cross-species transmission and what transmission risk might exist for those sivcpz strains that have not been found to infect humans. closing th ...	2016	27307566
the occurrence of postconflict skills in captive immature chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).	conflict management strategies can reduce costs of aggressive competition in group-living animals. postconflict behaviors such as reconciliation and third-party postconflict affiliation are widely accepted as social skills in primates and have been demonstrated in many species. although immature primates possess a repertoire of species-specific behaviors, it is thought that they gradually develop appropriate social skills throughout prolonged juvenility to establish and maintain complex social r ...	2016	27257315
bacillus cereus biovar anthracis causing anthrax in sub-saharan africa-chromosomal monophyly and broad geographic distribution.	through full genome analyses of four atypical bacillus cereus isolates, designated b. cereus biovar anthracis, we describe a distinct clade within the b. cereus group that presents with anthrax-like disease, carrying virulence plasmids similar to those of classic bacillus anthracis. we have isolated members of this clade from different mammals (wild chimpanzees, gorillas, an elephant and goats) in west and central africa (côte d'ivoire, cameroon, central african republic and democratic republic ...	2016	27607836
origins and evolution of hepatitis b virus and hepatitis d virus.	members of the family hepadnaviridae fall into two subgroups: mammalian and avian. the detection of endogenous avian hepadnavirus dna integrated into the genomes of zebra finches has revealed a deep evolutionary origin of hepadnaviruses that was not previously recognized, dating back at least 40 million and possibly >80 million years ago. the nonprimate mammalian members of the hepadnaviridae include the woodchuck hepatitis virus (whv), the ground squirrel hepatitis virus, and arctic squirrel he ...	2016	26729756
complete genome sequence of a novel chimpanzee polyomavirus from a western common chimpanzee.	we report here the full-length genome sequence of a novel chimpanzee polyomavirus. viral sequences were recovered from colon, bladder, and ureter tissue from a western common chimpanzee. the virus is genetically closely related to the human bk polyomavirus.	2016	26798086
safety and immunogenicity of chad63 and mva me-trap in west african children and infants.	malaria remains a significant global health burden and a vaccine would make a substantial contribution to malaria control. chimpanzee adenovirus 63 modified vaccinia ankara multiple epitope thrombospondin adhesion protein (me-trap) and vaccination has shown significant efficacy against malaria sporozoite challenge in malaria-naive european volunteers and against malaria infection in kenyan adults. infants are the target age group for malaria vaccination; however, no studies have yet assessed t-c ...	2016	27109630
l1base 2: more retrotransposition-active line-1s, more mammalian genomes.	line-1 (l1) insertions comprise as much as 17% of the human genome sequence, and similar proportions have been recorded for other mammalian species. given the established role of l1 retrotransposons in shaping mammalian genomes, it becomes an important task to track and annotate the sources of this activity: full length elements, able to encode the cis and trans acting components of the retrotransposition machinery. the l1base database (http://l1base.charite.de) contains annotated full-length se ...	2016	27924012
zinc finger domain of the prdm9 gene on chromosome 1 exhibits high diversity in ruminants but its paralog prdm7 contains multiple disruptive mutations.	prdm9 is the sole hybrid sterility gene identified so far in vertebrates. prdm9 gene encodes a protein with an immensely variable zinc-finger (zf) domain that determines the site of meiotic recombination hotspots genome-wide. in this study, the terminal zf domain of prdm9 on bovine chromosome 1 and its paralog on chromosome 22 were characterized in 225 samples from five ruminant species (cattle, yak, mithun, sheep and goat). we found extraordinary variation in the number of prdm9 zinc fingers (6 ...	2016	27203728
a little cooperation helps murine cytomegalovirus (mcmv) go a long way: mcmv co-infection rescues a chemokine salivary gland defect.	cytomegaloviruses (cmvs) produce chemokines (vcxcls) that have both sequence and functional homology to host chemokines. assessment of vcxcl-1's role in cmv infection is limited to in vitro and in silico analysis due to cmvs species specificity. in this study, we used the murine cmv (mcmv) mouse model to evaluate the function of vcxcl-1 in vivo. recombinant mcmvs expressing chimpanzee cmv vcxcl-1 (vcxcl-1ccmv) or host chemokine, mcxcl1, underwent primary dissemination to the popliteal lymph node ...	2016	27638684
ebola virus vaccines: where do we stand?	the recent outbreak of ebola virus disease in west africa has led to more than 11,000 deaths, with a peak in mortality from august through december of 2014. a meeting convened by the world health organization (who) in september 2014, concluded that an urgent unmet need exists for efficacy and safety testing of the ebola virus vaccine candidates and that clinical trials should be expedited. these vaccines could be used both in an outbreak setting and to provide long-term protection in populations ...	2016	27910805
transmission of ebola virus disease: an overview.	ebola is a viral illness of which the initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat, according to the world health organization (who). airborne transmission of ebola virus has been hypothesized but not demonstrated in humans. ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. however, in africa, ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. the disease infect ...	2016	25960093
a monovalent chimpanzee adenovirus ebola vaccine boosted with mva.	the west african outbreak of ebola virus disease that peaked in 2014 has caused more than 11,000 deaths. the development of an effective ebola vaccine is a priority for control of a future outbreak.	2016	25629663
t- and b-cell responses to multivalent prime-boost dna and viral vectored vaccine combinations against hepatitis c virus in non-human primates.	immune responses against multiple epitopes are required for the prevention of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, and the progression to phase i trials of candidates may be guided by comparative immunogenicity studies in non-human primates. four vectors, dna, sfv, human serotype 5 adenovirus (huad5) and modified vaccinia ankara (mva) poxvirus, all expressing hepatitis c virus core, e1, e2 and ns3, were combined in three prime-boost regimen, and their ability to elicit immune responses against hcv ...	2016	27416077
chimpanzee adenovirus vector-based avian influenza vaccine completely protects mice against lethal challenge of h5n1.	highly pathogenic avian h5n1 viruses may give rise to the next influenza pandemic due to their reassortment and mutation of the genome. vaccine against this virus is important for coping with its potential threat. chimpanzee adenovirus (ad) vectors are a novel type of vaccine vectors that share the advantages of human serotype ad vectors but without being affected by pre-existing human neutralizing antibody to the vaccine vector. based on a replication-deficient chimpanzee ad vector, adc7, we ge ...	2016	27576071
hemagglutinin-targeting artificial micrornas expressed by adenovirus protect mice from different clades of h5n1 infection.	influenza virus (iv) is a continuously evolving virus that widely spreads in humans and contributes to substantial morbidity and mortality. re-emergence of human infection with avian influenza virus h5n1 poses extra challenge to iv control. artificial microrna (amirna)-mediated rna interference has become a powerful antiviral approach due to its high specificity and rapid effect. here, we designed several amirnas targeting the hemagglutinin gene of h5n1, a major determinant of pathogenicity. exp ...	2016	27093169
prospective population management for hepatitis b in the chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) ssp® population.	hepatitis b virus causes horizontally transmitted infectious hepatopathy of primates and may progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. historically, a small number of chimpanzees ( pan troglodytes ) living in accredited north american zoos have been confirmed with positive hepatitis b serology consistent with exposure. however, the overall status for this population and the interpretation of these individual test results have not been established previously. the current u.s. zoo-housed population (n ...	2016	27691953
activating the innate immune response to counter chronic hepatitis b virus infection.	chronic infection with hepatitis b virus (hbv) is endemic to several populous parts of the world, where resulting complicating cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma occur commonly. licensed drugs to treat the infection have limited curative efficacy, and development of therapies that eliminate all replication intermediates of hbv is a priority. areas covered: the recent demonstration that the activation of the innate immune response may eradicate hbv from infected hepatocytes has a promising th ...	2016	27603796
experimental in vitro and in vivo models for the study of human hepatitis b virus infection.	chronic infection with the hepatitis b virus (hbv) affects an estimate of 240 million people worldwide despite the availability of a preventive vaccine. medication to repress viral replication is available but a cure is rarely achieved. the narrow species and tissue tropism of the virus and the lack of reliable in vitro models and laboratory animals susceptible to hbv infection, have limited research progress in the past. as a result, several aspects of the hbv life cycle as well as the network ...	2016	27084033
in vivo models of hepatitis b and c virus infection.	globally, more than 500 million individuals are chronically infected with hepatitis b (hbv), delta (hdv), and/or c (hcv) viruses, which can result in severe liver disease. mechanistic studies of viral persistence and pathogenesis have been hampered by the scarcity of animal models. the limited species and cellular host range of hbv, hdv, and hcv, which robustly infect only humans and chimpanzees, have posed challenges for creating such animal models. in this review, we will discuss the barriers ...	2016	27009462
interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α produced by t cells reduce the hbv persistence form, cccdna, without cytolysis.	viral clearance involves immune cell cytolysis of infected cells. however, studies of hepatitis b virus (hbv) infection in chimpanzees have indicated that cytokines released by t cells also can promote viral clearance via noncytolytic processes. we investigated the noncytolytic mechanisms by which t cells eliminate hbv from infected hepatocytes.	2016	26416327
cd4+ t cells are not required for suppression of hepatitis b virus replication in the liver of vaccinated chimpanzees.	humans vaccinated with hepatitis b virus (hbv) surface antigen (hbsag) sometimes develop humoral and cellular immunity to hbv proteins such as core and polymerase that are not vaccine components, providing indirect evidence that vaccine-induced immunity is not sterilizing. we previously described cd4(+) t-cell immunity against hbsag and polymerase in chimpanzees after vaccination and hbv challenge. here, vaccinated chimpanzees with protective levels of anti-hbsag antibodies were rechallenged wit ...	2016	26324781
molecular identification of entamoeba species in savanna woodland chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii).	to address the molecular diversity and occurrence of pathogenic species of the genus entamoeba spp. in wild non-human primates (nhp) we conducted molecular-phylogenetic analyses on entamoeba from wild chimpanzees living in the issa valley, tanzania. we compared the sensitivity of molecular [using a genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (pcr)] and coproscopic detection (merthiolate-iodine-formaldehyde concentration) of entamoeba spp. we identified entamoeba spp. in 72 chimpanzee fecal samples ...	2016	26935395
expanding the host range of hepatitis c virus through viral adaptation.	hepatitis c virus (hcv) species tropism is incompletely understood. we have previously shown that at the level of entry, human cd81 and occludin (ocln) comprise the minimal set of human factors needed for viral uptake into murine cells. as an alternative approach to genetic humanization, species barriers can be overcome by adapting hcv to use the murine orthologues of these entry factors. we previously generated a murine tropic hcv (mthcv or jc1/mcd81) strain harboring three mutations within the ...	2016	27834208
role of microbial translocation in soluble cd14 up-regulation in hiv-, but not in hcv-, infected chimpanzees.	during human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection, soluble cd14 (scd14) is up-regulated as a consequence of pathological disruption of the gut epithelial barrier, and subsequent increased microbial translocation. also in hepatitis c virus (hcv)-infected patients with advanced liver fibrosis, increased levels of scd14 have been reported. since the liver plays an important role in clearance of translocated bacterial products, hepatic fibrosis may negatively affect clearance and thus contribute t ...	2016	27534537
pauci-immune glomerulonephritis in a captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes), and a review of spontaneous cases in animals.	crescentic glomeruli are the hallmark finding in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (rpgn) and are characterized by disruption and proliferation of the glomerular capsule and an influx of cells into bowman's space. pauci-immune-type rpgn is identified by a lack of immunoglobulins and immune complexes in the glomerular basement membrane.	2016	27506330
highly-immunogenic virally-vectored t-cell vaccines cannot overcome subversion of the t-cell response by hcv during chronic infection.	an effective therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, as an adjunct to newly developed directly-acting antivirals (daa), or for the prevention of reinfection, would significantly reduce the global burden of disease associated with chronic hcv infection. a recombinant chimpanzee adenoviral (chad3) vector and a modified vaccinia ankara (mva), encoding the non-structural proteins of hcv (nsmut), used in a heterologous prime/boost regimen induced multi-spec ...	2016	27490575
infection of common marmosets with gb virus b chimeric virus encoding the major nonstructural proteins ns2 to ns4a of hepatitis c virus.	a lack of immunocompetent-small-primate models has been an obstacle for developing hepatitis c virus (hcv) vaccines and affordable antiviral drugs. in this study, hcv/gb virus b (gbv-b) chimeric virus carrying the major nonstructural proteins ns2 to ns4a (hcv ns2 to -4a chimera) was produced and used to infect common marmosets, since hcv ns2 to ns4a proteins are critical proteases and major antigens. seven marmosets were inoculated intrahepatically with hcv ns2 to -4a chimera rna for primary inf ...	2016	27384651
mouse systems to model hepatitis c virus treatment and associated resistance.	while addition of the first-approved protease inhibitors (pis), telaprevir and boceprevir, to pegylated interferon (peg-ifn) and ribavirin (rbv) combination therapy significantly increased sustained virologic response (svr) rates, pi-based triple therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection was prone to the emergence of resistant viral variants. meanwhile, multiple direct acting antiviral agents (daas) targeting either the hcv ns3/4a protease, ns5a or ns5b polymerase ha ...	2016	27338446
cellular immune response to hepatitis-c-virus in subjects without viremia or seroconversion: is it important?	hepatitis c virus (hcv) causes chronic infection and represents a global health burden. to date, there is no licensed vaccine for hcv. the high viral replication rate and the existence of several hcv genotypes and quasispecies hamper the development of an effective universal vaccine. in this regard, the current hcv vaccine candidates show genotype-specific protection or narrow cross reactivity against other genotypes. importantly, hcv spontaneous clearance occurs in 15-50 % of infected subjects, ...	2016	27186234
spontaneous and natural cytotoxicity receptor-mediated cytotoxicity are effector functions of distinct natural killer subsets in hepatitis c virus-infected chimpanzees.	in humans, cd16 and cd56 are used to identify functionally distinct natural killer (nk) subsets. due to ubiquitous cd56 expression, this marker cannot be used to distinguish between nk cell subsets in chimpanzees. therefore, functional analysis of distinct nk subsets during hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection has never been performed in these animals. in the present study an alternative strategy was used to identify four distinct nk subsets on the basis of the expression of cd16 and cd94. the expr ...	2016	26850369
persistent hepatitis c viral replication despite priming of functional cd8+ t cells by combined therapy with a vaccine and a direct-acting antiviral.	exhaustion of antiviral cd8(+) t cells contributes to persistence of hepatitis c viral (hcv) infection. this immune response has proved difficult to restore by therapeutic vaccination, even when hcv replication is suppressed using antiviral regimens containing type i interferon. because immunomodulatory effects of type i interferon may be a factor in poor t-cell priming, we undertook therapeutic vaccination in two chronically infected chimpanzees during treatment with a direct-acting antiviral ( ...	2016	26513111
trading up: chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) show self-control through their exchange behavior.	self-control is defined as the ability or capacity to obtain an objectively more valuable outcome rather than an objectively less valuable outcome though tolerating a longer delay or a greater effort requirement (or both) in obtaining that more valuable outcome. a number of tests have been devised to assess self-control in non-human animals, including exchange tasks. in this study, three chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) participated in a delay of gratification task that required food exchange as th ...	2016	26325355
[the emergence of ebola virus in humans: a long process not yet fully understood].	since 1976 ebola virus regularly has caused small deadly outbreaks in central africa, usually controlled in a few months. for the first time, an ebola epidemic of exceptional magnitude dramatically engulfed several countries in west africa since december 2013. major failures of implementing measures to prevent human-to-human transmissions are the main cause of this large-scale ebola outbreak. after about one-week incubation period, the ebola virus disease is characterized by a sudden onset of hi ...	2016	27509685
hippocampal pruning as a new theory of schizophrenia etiopathogenesis.	pruning in neurons has been suggested to be strongly involved in schizophrenia's (skz) etiopathogenesis in recent biological, imaging, and genetic studies. we investigated the impact of protein-coding genes known to be involved in pruning, collected by a systematic literature research, in shaping the risk for skz in a case-control sample of 9,490 subjects (psychiatric genomics consortium). moreover, their modifications through evolution (humans, chimpanzees, and rats) and subcellular localizatio ...	2016	25902861
the complete mitochondrial genome of the central chimpanzee, pan troglodytes troglodytes.	this study first report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the central chimpanzee, pan troglodytes troglodytes. the genome was a total of 16 556 bp in length and had a base composition of a (31.05%), g (12.95%), c (30.84%), and t (25.16%), indicating that the percentage of a + t (56.21%) is higher than g + c (43.79%). similar to other primates, it possessed a typically conserved structure, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer rna genes, 2 ribosomal rna genes and 1 control re ...	2016	26190079
meaning and ostension in great ape gestural communication.	it is sometimes argued that while human gestures are produced ostensively and intentionally, great ape gestures are produced only intentionally. if true, this would make the psychological mechanisms underlying the different species' communication fundamentally different, and ascriptions of meaning to chimpanzee gestures would be inappropriate. while the existence of different underlying mechanisms cannot be ruled out, in fact claims about difference are driven less by empirical data than by cont ...	2016	26223212
an analysis of bimanual actions in natural feeding of semi-wild chimpanzees.	the objective of the current study was to investigate the lateral dominance for a bimanually coordinated natural feeding behavior in semi-wild chimpanzees.	2016	26345277
the effects of being watched on resource acquisition in chimpanzees and human children.	animals react in many different ways to being watched by others. in the context of cooperation, many theories emphasize reputational effects: individuals should cooperate more if other potential cooperators are watching. in the context of competition, individuals might want to show off their strength and prowess if other potential competitors are watching. in the current study, we observed chimpanzees and human children in three experimental conditions involving resource acquisition: participant ...	2016	26376987
social grooming network in captive chimpanzees: does the wild or captive origin of group members affect sociality?	many chimpanzees throughout the world are housed in captivity, and there is an increasing effort to recreate social groups by mixing individuals with captive origins with those with wild origins. captive origins may entail restricted rearing conditions during early infant life, including, for example, no maternal rearing and a limited social life. early rearing conditions have been linked with differences in tool-use behavior between captive- and wild-born chimpanzees. if physical cognition can ...	2016	26403665