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the goal of ape pointing.captive great apes regularly use pointing gestures in their interactions with humans. however, the precise function of this gesture is unknown. one possibility is that apes use pointing primarily to direct attention (as in "please look at that"); another is that they point mainly as an action request (such as "can you give that to me?"). we investigated these two possibilities here by examining how the looking behavior of recipients affects pointing in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and bonobos ( ...201829694358
inter- and intraspecific variations in the pectoral muscles of common chimpanzees (pan troglodytes), bonobos (pan paniscus), and humans (homo sapiens).we have analyzed anatomic variations in the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles of common chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and bonobos (pan paniscus) and compared them to anatomic variations in these muscles in humans (homo sapiens). we have macroscopically dissected these muscles in six adult pan troglodytes, five pan paniscus of ages ranging from fetus to adult, and five adult homo sapiens. although pan troglodytes are thought to lack a separate pectoralis abdominis muscle, we have iden ...201829581990
primate occurrence across a human-impacted landscape in guinea-bissau and neighbouring regions in west africa: using a systematic literature review to highlight the next conservation steps.west african landscapes are largely characterised by complex agroforest mosaics. although the west african forests are considered a nonhuman primate hotspot, knowledge on the distribution of many species is often lacking and out-of-date. considering the fast-changing nature of the landscapes in this region, up-to-date information on primate occurrence is urgently needed, particularly of taxa such as colobines, which may be more sensitive to habitat modification than others. understanding wildlif ...201829844988
high order formation and evolution of hornerin in primates.genomic duplication or loss can accelerate evolution because the number of repeats could affect molecular pathways and phenotypes. we have previously reported that the repeated region of filaggrin (flg), a crucial component of the outer layers of mammalian skin, had high levels of nucleotide diversity with species-specific divergence and expansion and that it evolved under the birth-and-death model. we focused on hornerin (hrnr), a member of the same gene family that harbor similar tandem repeat ...201830256937
analysis of wild macaque stone tools used to crack oil palm nuts.the discovery of oil palm (elaeis guineensis) nut-cracking by wild long-tailed macaques (macaca fascicularis) is significant for the study of non-human primate and hominin percussive behaviour. up until now, only west african chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) and modern human populations were known to use stone hammers to crack open this particular hard-shelled palm nut. the addition of non-habituated, wild macaques increases our comparative dataset of primate lithic percussive behaviour focus ...201829657792
refinements to captive chimpanzee (pan troglodytes) care: a self-medication paradigm.in an effort to enhance welfare, behavioural management continually refines methods of non-human primate (nhp) care. chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are one of the most cognitively complex captive nhps and they have been observed to self-medicate in the wild. the population of captive chimpanzees in the us is aged (due to a breeding moratorium instituted in 1998) and will progressively require more medical care as they get older. to functionally simulate natural self-medication behaviour, provide ...201831244511
flexible decision-making in grooming partner choice in sooty mangabeys and chimpanzees.living in permanent social groups forces animals to make decisions about when, how and with whom to interact, requiring decisions to be made that integrate multiple sources of information. changing social environments can influence this decision-making process by constraining choice or altering the likelihood of a positive outcome. here, we conceptualized grooming as a choice situation where an individual chooses one of a number of potential partners. studying two wild populations of sympatric p ...201830109053
the grand challenge of great ape health and conservation in the anthropocene."ecosystem health recognizes the inherent interdependence of the health of humans, animals and ecosystems and explores the perspectives, theories and methodologies emerging at the interface between ecological and health sciences." this broad focus requires new approaches and methods for solving problems of greater complexity at larger scales than ever before. nowhere is this point more salient than the case of disease emergence and control at the human-non human primate interface in shrinking tr ...201829095520
morphological integration in the gorilla, chimpanzee, and human neck.although integration studies are important to understand the evolution of organisms' traits across phylogenies, vertebral integration in primates is still largely unexplored. here we describe and quantify patterns of morphological integration and modularity in the subaxial cervical vertebrae (c3-c7) in extant hominines incorporating the potential influence of size.201829446467
self-control in chimpanzees relates to general intelligence.for humans, there appears to be a clear link between general intelligence and self-control behavior, such as sustained delay of gratification [1-9]. chimpanzees also delay gratification [10-12] and can be given tests of general intelligence (g) [13-15], but these two constructs have never been compared within the same sample of nonhuman animals. we presented 40 chimpanzees with the hybrid delay task (hdt) [16, 17], which measures inter-temporal choices and the capacity for sustained delay of gra ...201829429613
pathogen transmission from humans to great apes is a growing threat to primate conservation.all six great ape species are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the iucn and experiencing decreasing population trends. one of the threats to these non-human primates is the transmission of pathogens from humans. we conducted a literature review on occurrences of pathogen transmission from humans to great apes to highlight this often underappreciated issue. in total, we found 33 individual occurrences of probable or confirmed pathogen transmission from humans to great apes: 23 inv ...201829362964
adaptive evolution of rh5 in apeplasmodiumspecies of thelaveraniasubgenus.plasmodium falciparum, the major cause of malaria morbidity and mortality in humans, has been shown to have emerged after cross-species transmission of one of six host-specific parasites (subgenuslaverania) infecting wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and western gorillas (gorilla gorilla). binding of the parasite-encoded ligand rh5 to the host protein basigin is essential for erythrocyte invasion and has been implicated in host specificity. a recent study claimed to have found two amino acid ch ...201829362238
systemic patterns of trabecular bone across the human and chimpanzee skeleton.aspects of trabecular bone architecture are thought to reflect regional loading of the skeleton, and thus differ between primate taxa with different locomotor and postural modes. however, there are several systemic factors that affect bone structure that could contribute to, or be the primary factor determining, interspecific differences in bone structure. these systemic factors include differences in genetic regulation, sensitivity to loading, hormone levels, diet, and activity levels. improved ...201829344941
genome-wide mining of perfect microsatellites and tetranucleotide orthologous microsatellites estimates in six primate species.advancement in genome sequencing and in silico mining tools have provided new opportunities for comparative primate genomics of microsatellites. the ssrs (simple sequence repeats) numbers were not correlated with the genome size (pearson, r=0.310, p=0.550), and were positively correlated with the total length of ssrs (pearson, r=0.992, p=0.00). a total of 224,289 tetranucleotide orthologous microsatellites families and 367 single-copy orthologous ssrs loci were found in six primate species by ho ...201829223358
taste responsiveness to two steviol glycosides in three species of nonhuman primates.primates have been found to differ widely in their taste perception and studies suggest that a co-evolution between plant species bearing a certain taste substance and primate species feeding on these plants may contribute to such between-species differences. considering that only platyrrhine primates, but not catarrhine or prosimian primates, share an evolutionary history with the neotropical plant stevia rebaudiana, we assessed whether members of these three primate taxa differ in their abilit ...201829492039
adenovirus infection in savanna chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the issa valley, tanzania.adenoviruses are a widespread cause of diverse human infections with recently confirmed zoonotic roots in african great apes. we focused on savanna-dwelling chimpanzees in the issa valley (tanzania), which differ from those from forested sites in many aspects of behavior and ecology. pcr targeting the dna polymerase gene detected adv in 36.7% (69/188) of fecal samples. we detected five groups of strains belonging to the species human mastadenovirus e and two distinct groups within the species hu ...201828980083
quantifying uncertainty due to fission-fusion dynamics as a component of social complexity.groups of animals (including humans) may show flexible grouping patterns, in which temporary aggregations or subgroups come together and split, changing composition over short temporal scales, (i.e. fission and fusion). a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics may constrain the regulation of social relationships, introducing uncertainty in interactions between group members. here we use shannon's entropy to quantify the predictability of subgroup composition for three species known to differ in ...201829848648
functional morphology of mimetic musculature in primates: how social variables and body size stack up to phylogeny.mammalian skeletal muscle is influenced by the functional demands placed upon it. functional morphology of facial expression musculature, or mimetic musculature, is largely unknown. recently, primate mimetic musculature has been shown to respond to demands associated with social factors. body size has also been demonstrated to affect many aspects of primate functional morphology and evolutionary morphology. the present study was designed to further examine the role of social variables and body s ...201829330949
call type signals caller goal: a new take on ultimate and proximate influences in vocal production.after 40 years of debate it remains unclear whether signallers produce vocalizations in order to provide receivers with information about call context or external stimuli. this has led some researchers to propose that call production is arousal- or affect-based. although arousal influences certain acoustic parameters within a call type, we argue that it cannot explain why individuals across vertebrates produce different call types. given emerging evidence that calls are goal-based, we argue that ...201829896860
sooty mangabeys scavenge on nuts cracked by chimpanzees and red river hogs-an investigation of inter-specific interactions around tropical nut trees.carrion scavenging is a well-studied phenomenon, but virtually nothing is known about scavenging on plant material, especially on remnants of cracked nuts. just like meat, the insides of hard-shelled nuts are high in energetic value, and both foods are difficult to acquire. in the taï forest, chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and red river hogs (potamochoerus porcus) crack nuts by using tools or strong jaws, respectively. in this study, previously collected non-invasive camera trap data were used to ...201830024029
low antibody prevalence against bacillus cereus biovar anthracis in taï national park, côte d'ivoire, indicates high rate of lethal infections in wildlife.bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (bcbva) is a member of the b. cereus group which carries both b. anthracis virulence plasmids, causes anthrax-like disease in various wildlife species and was described in several sub-saharan african rainforests. long-term monitoring of carcasses in taï national park, côte d'ivoire, revealed continuous wildlife mortality due to bcbva in a broad range of mammalian species. while non-lethal anthrax infections in wildlife have been described for b. anthracis, nothin ...201728934219
overcoming barriers to reprogramming and differentiation in nonhuman primate induced pluripotent stem cells.induced pluripotent stem cells (ips cells) generated by cellular reprogramming from nonhuman primates (nhps) are of great significance for regenerative medicine and for comparative biology. autologously derived stem cells would theoretically avoid any risk of rejection due to host-donor mismatch and may bypass the need for immune suppression post-transplant. in order for these possibilities to be realized, reprogramming methodologies that were initially developed mainly for human cells must be t ...201732110703
merkel cell polyomavirus infection of animal dermal fibroblasts.merkel cell polyomavirus (mcpyv) is the first polyomavirus to be associated with human cancer. mechanistic studies attempting to fully elucidate mcpyv oncogenic mechanisms have been hampered by the lack of animal models for mcpyv infection. in this study, we examined the infectability of mcpyv-gfp pseudovirus, mcpyv recombinant virion, and several mcpyv chimeric viruses in dermal fibroblasts isolated from various model animals, including mouse (mus musculus), rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), rat ...201729167345
lack of conformity to new local dietary preferences in migrating captive chimpanzees.conformity to the behavioural preferences of others can have powerful effects on intragroup behavioural homogeneity in humans, but evidence in animals remains minimal. in this study, we took advantage of circumstances in which individuals or pairs of captive chimpanzees,pan troglodytes, were 'migrated' between groups, to investigate whether immigrants would conform to a new dietary population preference experienced in the group they entered, an effect suggested by recent fieldwork. such 'migrato ...201729200465
potential damaging mutation in lrp5 from genome sequencing of the first reported chimpanzee with the chiari malformation.the genus pan is the closest related to humans (homo sapiens) and it includes two species: pan troglodytes (chimpanzees) and pan paniscus (bonobos). different characteristics, some of biomedical aspect, separate them from us. for instance, some common human medical conditions are rare in chimpanzees (menopause, alzheimer disease) although it is unclear to which extent longevity plays an active role in these differences. however, both humans and chimpanzees present similar pathologies, thus, unde ...201729123202
atypical experiences of captive chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) are associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations as adults.experiences during early development are influential on the lives of human and non-human primates into adulthood. the population of captive chimpanzees in the usa can provide insight into this relationship, as collectively they have experienced a wide range of exposure to both conspecifics (those raised in natal groups) and humans (those raised as personal pets or performers). our study investigated chimpanzee exposure to humans using a continuous measure of categorization, the chimpanzee-human ...201729308234
avoidance of biological contaminants through sight, smell and touch in chimpanzees.avoiding biological contaminants is a well-known manifestation of the adaptive system of disgust. in theory, animals evolved with such a system to prevent pathogen and parasite infection. bodily products are human-universal disgust elicitors, but whether they also elicit avoidance behaviour in non-human primates has yet to be tested. here, we report experimental evidence that potential exposure to biological contaminants (faeces, blood, semen), as perceived via multiple sensory modalities (visua ...201729291090
the chimpanzee model of viral hepatitis: advances in understanding the immune response and treatment of viral hepatitis.chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) have contributed to diverse fields of biomedical research due to their close genetic relationship to humans and in many instances due to the lack of any other animal model. this review focuses on the contributions of the chimpanzee model to research on hepatitis viruses where chimpanzees represented the only animal model (hepatitis b and c) or the most appropriate animal model (hepatitis a). research with chimpanzees led to the development of vaccines for hav and hb ...201729045731
forearm pronation efficiency in a.l. 288-1 (australopithecus afarensis) and mh2 (australopithecus sediba): insights into their locomotor and manipulative habits.the locomotor and manipulative abilities of australopithecines are highly debated in the paleoanthropological context. australopithecus afarensis and australopithecus sediba likely engaged in arboreal locomotion and, especially the latter, in certain activities implying manipulation. nevertheless, their degree of arboreality and the relevance of their manipulative skills remain unclear. here we calculate the pronation efficiency of the forearm (erot) in these taxa to explore their arboreal and m ...201728949001
age- and sex-associated differences in phenotypic and functional characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).chimpanzees are the closest phylogenetic relatives to humans, sharing more than 98% genetic sequence identity. these genetic similarities prompted the belief that chimpanzees can serve as an ideal model for human disease conditions and vaccine development. however, in light of the recent nih decision to phase out biomedical research in chimpanzees and retire nih-supported chimpanzees, data from the present study will continue to provide value for the care of aged and sick chimpanzees located in ...201728903821
bystanders intervene to impede grooming in western chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys.grooming interactions benefit groomers, but may have negative consequences for bystanders. grooming limits bystanders' grooming access and ensuing alliances could threaten the bystander's hierarchy rank or their previous investment in the groomers. to gain a competitive advantage, bystanders could intervene into a grooming bout to increase their own grooming access or to prevent the negative impact of others' grooming. we tested the impact of dominance rank and social relationships on grooming i ...201729291114
extant ape dental topography and its implications for reconstructing the emergence of early homo.dental topography reflects diet accurately in several extant and extinct mammalian clades. however, dental topographic dietary reconstructions have high success rates only when closely related taxa are compared. given the dietary breadth that exists among extant apes and likely existed among fossil hominins, dental topographic values from many species and subspecies of great apes are necessary for making dietary inferences about the hominin fossil record. here, we present the results of one metr ...201729037413
testing differential use of payoff-biased social learning strategies in children and chimpanzees.various non-human animal species have been shown to exhibit behavioural traditions. importantly, this research has been guided by what we know of human culture, and the question of whether animal cultures may be homologous or analogous to our own culture. in this paper, we assess whether models of human cultural transmission are relevant to understanding biological fundamentals by investigating whether accounts of human payoff-biased social learning are relevant to chimpanzees (pan troglodytes). ...201729187629
the relationship between social play and developmental milestones in wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii).social play is common among many group-living animals, but the benefits are not well understood. proposed benefits include increased muscle coordination as the result of increased locomotor versatility and development, and strengthened social bonds through interactions with like-aged individuals. in this study, we used 33 years of long-term behavioral data on infant chimpanzees in gombe national park, tanzania, to examine these potential benefits of social play, specifically how the percentage o ...201729168188
heart rate and indirect blood pressure responses to four different field anesthetic protocols in wild-born captive chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).limited data are available on hemodynamic responses to anesthetic protocols in wild-born chimpanzees (pan troglodytes). accordingly, this study characterized the heart rate (hr) and blood pressure responses to four anesthetic protocols in 176 clinically healthy, wild-born chimpanzees undergoing routine health assessments. animals were anesthetized with medetomidine-ketamine (mk) (n = 101), tiletamine-zolazepam (tz) (n = 30), tiletamine-zolazepam-medetomidine (tzm) (n = 24), or medetomidine-ketam ...201728920777
risk sensitivity, phylogenetic reconstruction, and four chimpanzees.sensitivity to variance, or risk, has been considered elementary to economic decision making, featured prominently in discussions of primate species-typical behaviors and phylogeny, and heralded as a challenge to deterministic foraging theory. most risk sensitivity studies involve dichotomous choices and small spatial scales, providing only limited bases for predicting how variance information might be used across contexts. we examined foraging risk-sensitivity in four chimpanzees (pan troglodyt ...201732549648
morphology of the lingual papillae in the chimpanzee.we microscopically examined the dorsal lingual surface of an adult chimpanzee (pan troglodytes). the tongue of the chimpanzee was about 13 cm long. filiform papillae were distributed over the entire dorsal surface of the lingual body. there were many fungiform papillae scattered among the filiform papillae. at the posterior end of the lingual body, a triangular arrangement of the vallate papillae, with the apex of the triangle directed posteriorly, was observed. the filiform papillae on the ling ...201729681589
personality in the chimpanzees of gombe national park.researchers increasingly view animal personality traits as products of natural selection. we present data that describe the personalities of 128 eastern chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) currently living in or who lived their lives in the kasekela and mitumba communities of gombe national park, tanzania. we obtained ratings on 24 items from an established, reliable, well-validated questionnaire used to study personality in captive chimpanzee populations. ratings were made by former an ...201729064463
the diet of open-habitat chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the issa valley, western tanzania.comparative data on the diets of extant primates inform hypotheses about hominin resource use. historically, data describing chimpanzee diets stem primarily from forest-dwelling communities, and we lack comparative data from chimpanzees that live in mosaic habitats that more closely resemble those reconstructed for plio-pleistocene hominins. we present data on the diet of a partially-habituated community of open habitat chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) from the issa valley, western t ...201729037416
chimpanzee vertebrate consumption: savanna and forest chimpanzees compared.there is broad consensus among paleoanthropologists that meat-eating played a key role in the evolution of homo, but the details of where, when, and why are hotly debated. it has been argued that increased faunivory was causally connected with hominin adaptation to open, savanna habitats. if savanna-dwelling chimpanzees eat meat more frequently than do forest chimpanzees, it would support the notion that open, dry, seasonal habitats promote hunting or scavenging by hominoids. here we present obs ...201729037414
limited evidence for third-party affiliation during development in wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii).examining the ontogeny of conflict-mitigating behaviours in our closest living relatives is an important component of understanding the evolutionary origins of cooperation in our species. in this study, we used 26 years of data to investigate the emergence of third-party affiliation (tpa), defined as affiliative contact given to recipients of aggression by uninvolved bystanders (regardless of initiation), in wild immature eastern chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of gombe national par ...201728989757
trade-offs in the production of animal vocal sequences: insights from the structure of wild chimpanzee pant hoots.vocal sequences - utterances consisting of calls produced in close succession - are common phenomena in animal communication. while many studies have explored the adaptive benefits of producing such sequences, very little is known about how the costs and constraints involved in their production affect their form. here, we investigated this issue in the chimpanzee (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) pant hoot, a long and structurally complex vocal sequence comprising four acoustically distinct phase ...201729142585
the higher the farther: distance-specific referential gestures in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).referential signals, such as manual pointing or deictic words, allow individuals to efficiently locate a specific entity in the environment, using distance-specific linguistic and/or gestural units. to explore the evolutionary prerequisites of such deictic ability, the present study investigates the ability of chimpanzees to adjust their communicative signals to the distance of a referent. a food-request paradigm in which the chimpanzees had to request a close or distant piece of food on a table ...201729142043
the state of the deciduous dentition of a chimpanzee fetus (pan troglodytes). 20174621887
factors affecting initial training success of blood glucose testing in captive chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).type 2 diabetes can be a problem for captive chimpanzees. accurate blood glucose (bg) readings are necessary to monitor and treat this disease. thus, obtaining voluntary samples from primates through positive reinforcement training (prt) is critical. the current study assessed the voluntary participation of 123 chimpanzees in bg sampling and investigated factors that may contribute to individual success. all subjects participate in regular prt sessions as part of a comprehensive behavioral manag ...201724706518
hypertension increases with aging and obesity in chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).cardiovascular disease is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in captive chimpanzees. four years of blood pressure (bp) data were analyzed from a captive former laboratory population of 201 healthy adult chimpanzees with assessment of age and obesity on elevated bp. five different measures of obesity were compared: abdominal girth, basal metabolic rate, body-mass index (bmi), body weight, and surface area. systolic bp varied by sex. obesity did not influence male bp. for females, obesity ...201722968757
animal models of respiratory syncytial virus infection.human respiratory syncytial virus (hrsv) is a major cause of respiratory disease and hospitalisation of infants, worldwide, and is also responsible for significant morbidity in adults and excess deaths in the elderly. there is no licensed hrsv vaccine or effective therapeutic agent. however, there are a growing number of hrsv vaccine candidates that have been developed targeting different populations at risk of hrsv infection. animal models of hrsv play an important role in the preclinical testi ...201727908639
phyloepidemiological analysis reveals that viral divergence led to the paucity of simian immunodeficiency virus sivmus/gsn/mon infections in wild populations.human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) is the result of cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees (sivcpz). sivcpz is a chimeric virus which shares common ancestors with viruses infecting red-capped mangabeys and a subset of guenon species. the epidemiology of siv infection in hominoids is characterized by low prevalences and an uneven geographic distribution. surveys in cameroon indicated that two closely related members of the guenon species subset, must ...201728077632
the final (oral ebola) vaccine trial on captive chimpanzees?could new oral vaccine technologies protect endangered wildlife against a rising tide of infectious disease? we used captive chimpanzees to test oral delivery of a rabies virus (rabv) vectored vaccine against ebola virus (ebov), a major threat to wild chimpanzees and gorillas. ebov gp and rabv gp-specific antibody titers increased exponentially during the trial, with rates of increase for six orally vaccinated chimpanzees very similar to four intramuscularly vaccinated controls. chimpanzee sera ...201728277549
chimpanzee adenovirus vector ebola vaccine.background the unprecedented 2014 epidemic of ebola virus disease (evd) prompted an international response to accelerate the availability of a preventive vaccine. a replication-defective recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus type 3-vectored ebolavirus vaccine (cad3-ebo), encoding the glycoprotein from zaire and sudan species, that offers protection in the nonhuman primate model, was rapidly advanced into phase 1 clinical evaluation. methods we conducted a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label trial o ...201725426834
characterization of human monoclonal antibodies that neutralize multiple poliovirus serotypes.following the eradication of wild poliovirus (pv), achieving and maintaining a polio-free status will require eliminating potentially pathogenic pv strains derived from the oral attenuated vaccine. for this purpose, a combination of non-cross-resistant drugs, such as small molecules and neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mabs), may be ideal. we previously isolated chimpanzee and human mabs capable of neutralizing multiple pv types (cross-neutralization). here, we describe three additional human ...201728343771
loss of cmah during human evolution primed the monocyte-macrophage lineage toward a more inflammatory and phagocytic state.humans and chimpanzees are more sensitive to endotoxin than are mice or monkeys, but any underlying differences in inflammatory physiology have not been fully described or understood. we studied innate immune responses in cmah(-/-) mice, emulating human loss of the gene encoding production of neu5gc, a major cell surface sialic acid. cmp-n-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (cmah) loss occurred ∼2-3 million years ago, after the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, perhaps contributing to sp ...201728148732
immune protection against reinfection with nonprimate hepacivirus.hepatitis c virus (hcv) displays a restricted host species tropism and only humans and chimpanzees are susceptible to infection. a robust immunocompetent animal model is still lacking, hampering mechanistic analysis of virus pathogenesis, immune control, and prophylactic vaccine development. the closest homolog of hcv is the equine nonprimate hepacivirus (nphv), which shares similar features with hcv and thus represents an animal model to study hepacivirus infections in their natural hosts. we a ...201728275093
preclinical evaluation of multi antigenic hcv dna vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis c virus infection.direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is costly and does not protect from re-infection. for human and chimpanzees, recovery from acute hcv infection correlates with host cd4+ and cd8+ t cell responses. dna plasmids targeting the hcv non-structural antigens ns3, ns4, and ns5, were previously reported to induce robust and sustained t cell responses in mice and primates. these plasmids were combined with a plasmid encoding cytokine il-28b, together named as vgx-615 ...201728266565
mice expressing minimally humanized cd81 and occludin genes support hepatitis c virus uptake in vivo.hepatitis c virus (hcv) causes chronic infections in at least 150 million individuals worldwide. hcv has a narrow host range and robustly infects only humans and chimpanzees. the underlying mechanisms for this narrow host range are incompletely understood. at the level of entry, differences in the amino acid sequences between the human and mouse orthologues of two essential host factors, the tetraspanin cd81 and the tight junction protein occludin (ocln), explain, at least in part, hcv's limited ...201727928007
amino acid mutations in the ns4a region of hepatitis c virus contribute to viral replication and infectious virus production.hepatitis c virus (hcv) strain jfh-1, which belongs to genotype 2a, replicates autonomously in cultured cells, whereas another genotype 2a strain, j6cf, does not. previously, we found that replacement of the ns3 helicase and ns5b-to-3'x regions of j6cf with those of jfh-1 confers j6cf replication competence. in this study, we aimed to identify the minimum modifications within these genomic regions needed to establish replication-competent j6cf. we previously identified 4 mutations in the ns5b-to ...201727928005
propagation of human hepatocytes in upa/scid mice: producing chimeric mice with humanized liver.primary or cryopreserved human hepatocytes (h-heps) have been used as the gold standard for in vitro metabolism and hepatotoxicity studies; however, the supply of h-heps is limited and they cannot grow in vitro. we achieved approximately 1000-fold propagation of h-heps in the liver of albumin promoter/enhancer-driven urokinase-type plasminogen activator transgenic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease (upa/scid) mice with genetically induced liver disease and immunodeficiency. when h-heps are ...201727830547
native folding of a recombinant gpe1/gpe2 heterodimer vaccine antigen from a precursor protein fused with fc igg.a recombinant strain hcv1 (hepatitis c virus [hcv] genotype 1a) gpe1/gpe2 (e1e2) vaccine candidate was previously shown by our group to protect chimpanzees and generate broad cross-neutralizing antibodies in animals and humans. in addition, recent independent studies have highlighted the importance of conserved neutralizing epitopes in hcv vaccine development that map to antigenic clusters in e2 or the e1e2 heterodimer. e1e2 can be purified using galanthis nivalis lectin agarose (gna), but this ...201727795422
peromyscus as a model system for human hepatitis c: an opportunity to advance our understanding of a complex host parasite system.worldwide, there are 185 million people infected with hepatitis c virus and approximately 350,000 people die each year from hepatitis c associated liver diseases. human hepatitis c research has been hampered by the lack of an appropriate in vivo model system. most of the in vivo research has been conducted on chimpanzees, which is complicated by ethical concerns, small sample sizes, high costs, and genetic heterogeneity. the house mouse system has led to greater understanding of a wide variety o ...201727498234
study of hepatitis e virus infection of genotype 1 and 3 in mice with humanised liver.the hepatitis e virus (hev) is responsible for approximately 20 million infections per year worldwide. although most infected people can spontaneously clear an hev infection, immune-compromised individuals may evolve towards chronicity. chronic hev infection can be cured using ribavirin, but viral isolates with low ribavirin sensitivity have recently been identified. although some hev isolates can be cultured in vitro, in vivo studies are essentially limited to primates and pigs. since the use o ...201727006186
development of replication-deficient adenovirus malaria vaccines.malaria remains a major threat to endemic populations and travelers, including military personnel to these areas. a malaria vaccine is feasible, as radiation attenuated sporozoites induce nearly 100% efficacy. areas covered: this review covers current malaria clinical trials using adenoviruses and pre-clinical research. heterologous prime-boost regimens, including replication-deficient human adenovirus 5 (huad5) carrying malaria antigens, are efficacious. however, efficacy appears to be adversel ...201727606709
cyclophilins and nucleoporins are required for infection mediated by capsids from circulating hiv-2 primary isolates.hiv-2 groups have emerged from sooty mangabey siv and entered the human population in africa on several separate occasions. compared to world pandemic hiv-1 that arose from the chimpanzee sivcpz virus, the sivsm-derived hiv-2, largely confined to west africa, is less replicative, less transmissible and less pathogenic. here, we evaluated the interactions between host cellular factors, which control hiv-1 infection and target the capsid, and hiv-2 capsids obtained from primary isolates from patie ...201728345672
mapping region of human restriction factor apobec3h critical for interaction with hiv-1 vif.the apobec3 (a3) family of cellular cytidine deaminases comprises seven members (a, b, c, d, f, g, and h) that potently inhibit retroviral replication. human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (hiv-1) vif is a small pleiotropic protein that specifically inactivates these enzymes, targeting them for ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. a3 vif-interaction sites are presumed to fall into three distinct types: a3c/d/f, a3g, and a3h. to date, two types of a3g and a3c/d/f sites have been well charac ...201728336404
hiv-1 conserved mosaics delivered by regimens with integration-deficient dc-targeting lentiviral vector induce robust t cells.to be effective against hiv type 1 (hiv-1), vaccine-induced t cells must selectively target epitopes, which are functionally conserved (present in the majority of currently circulating and reactivated hiv-1 strains) and, at the same time, beneficial (responses to which are associated with better clinical status and control of hiv-1 replication), and rapidly reach protective frequencies upon exposure to the virus. heterologous prime-boost regimens using virally vectored vaccines are currently the ...201728153096
current status of hiv/aids in the art era.human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) spread to humans from chimpanzees (hiv-1 groups m and n), gorillas (hiv-1 groups p and o), and sooty mangabeys (hiv-2). hiv is spread mainly through blood or body fluids. subjects can become infected with hiv by sexual contact, needle sharing, blood transfusions, or maternal transmissions as a blood-borne virus or via breast-milk. the incubation period of hiv-1 from infection to the development of aids ranges from 8 to 11 years. in the past 3 decades, hiv has c ...201727825722
therapeutic vaccine against primate papillomavirus infections of the cervix.currently available prophylactic vaccines have no therapeutic efficacy for preexisting human papillomavirus (hpvs) infections, do not target all oncogenic hpvs and are insufficient to eliminate the burden of hpv induced cancer. we aim to develop an alternative hpv vaccine which is broadly effective and capable of clearing preexisting infection. in an initial attempt to develop a broadly reactive therapeutic vaccine, we designed a putative papillomavirus (pv) ancestor antigen (circulating sequenc ...201728166180
evaluation of plasmodium vivax cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites as a preerythrocytic p. vivax vaccine.four different vaccine platforms, each targeting the human malaria parasite plasmodium vivax cell-traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites (pvceltos), were generated and assessed for protective efficacy. these platforms consisted of a recombinant chimpanzee adenoviral vector 63 (chad63) expressing pvceltos (ad), a recombinant modified vaccinia virus ankara expressing pvceltos (mva), pvceltos conjugated to bacteriophage qβ virus-like particles (vlps), and a recombinant pvceltos protein exp ...201728179403
assessment of the plasmodium falciparum preerythrocytic antigen uis3 as a potential candidate for a malaria vaccine.efforts are under way to improve the efficacy of subunit malaria vaccines through assessments of new adjuvants, vaccination platforms, and antigens. in this study, we further assessed the plasmodium falciparum antigen upregulated in infective sporozoites 3 (pfuis3) as a vaccine candidate. pfuis3 was expressed in the viral vectors chimpanzee adenovirus 63 (chad63) and modified vaccinia virus ankara (mva) and used to immunize mice in a prime-boost regimen. we previously demonstrated that this regi ...201728031267
human quarantine: toward reducing infectious pressure on chimpanzees at the taï chimpanzee project, côte d'ivoire.due to their genetic relatedness, great apes are highly susceptible to common human respiratory pathogens. although most respiratory pathogens, such as human respiratory syncytial virus (hrsv) and human metapneumovirus (hmpv), rarely cause severe disease in healthy human adults, they are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in wild great apes habituated to humans for research or tourism. to prevent pathogen transmission, most great ape projects have established a set of hygiene m ...201728095600
out of africa: origins and evolution of the human malaria parasites plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax.plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax account for more than 95% of all human malaria infections, and thus pose a serious public health challenge. to control and potentially eliminate these pathogens, it is important to understand their origins and evolutionary history. until recently, it was widely believed that p. falciparum had co-evolved with humans (and our ancestors) over millions of years, whilst p. vivax was assumed to have emerged in southeastern asia following the cross-species tra ...201727381764
molecular features of hookworm larvae (necator spp.) raised by coproculture from ugandan chimpanzees and gabonese gorillas and humans.species composition of necator hookworms was surveyed in (i) ugandan chimpanzees living around farms and villages at bulindi, (ii) gabonese gorillas under habituation in moukalaba-doudou national park (mdnp), and (iii) gabonese villagers living adjacent to mdnp. internal transcribed spacers (its) of rdna and partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of mtdna were analyzed from larvae obtained by coproculture. three its types (i, ii and iii) and three cox1 haplotype groups (a, b and c) w ...201727840196
pathogenicity determinants of the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum have ancient origins.plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly of the human malaria parasites, is a member of the laverania subgenus that also infects african great apes. the virulence of p. falciparum is related to cytoadhesion of infected erythrocytes in microvasculature, but the origin of dangerous parasite adhesion traits is poorly understood. to investigate the evolutionary history of the p. falciparum cytoadhesion pathogenicity determinant, we studied adhesion domains from the chimpanzee malaria parasite p. reich ...201728101534
plasmodium malariae and p. ovale genomes provide insights into malaria parasite evolution.elucidation of the evolutionary history and interrelatedness of plasmodium species that infect humans has been hampered by a lack of genetic information for three human-infective species: p. malariae and two p. ovale species (p. o. curtisi and p. o. wallikeri). these species are prevalent across most regions in which malaria is endemic and are often undetectable by light microscopy, rendering their study in human populations difficult. the exact evolutionary relationship of these species to the ...201728117441
getprime 2.0: gene- and transcript-specific qpcr primers for 13 species including polymorphisms.getprime (http://bbcftools.epfl.ch/getprime) is a database with a web frontend providing gene- and transcript-specific, pre-computed qpcr primer pairs. the primers have been optimized for genome-wide specificity and for allowing the selective amplification of one or several splice variants of most known genes. to ease selection, primers have also been ranked according to defined criteria such as genome-wide specificity (with blast), amplicon size, and isoform coverage. here, we report a major up ...201728053161
shewanella baltica ecotypes have wide transcriptional variation under the same growth conditions.in bacterial populations, subtle expressional differences may promote ecological specialization through the formation of distinct ecotypes. in a barrier-free habitat, this process most likely precedes population divergence and may predict speciation events. to examine this, we used four sequenced strains of the bacterium shewanella baltica, os155, os185, os195, and os223, as models to assess transcriptional variation and ecotype formation within a prokaryotic population. all strains were isolate ...201727777983
highly variable streptococcus oralis strains are common among viridans streptococci isolated from primates.viridans streptococci were obtained from primates (great apes, rhesus monkeys, and ring-tailed lemurs) held in captivity, as well as from free-living animals (chimpanzees and lemurs) for whom contact with humans is highly restricted. isolates represented a variety of viridans streptococci, including unknown species. streptococcus oralis was frequently isolated from samples from great apes. genotypic methods revealed that most of the strains clustered on separate lineages outside the main cluster ...201727303717
feeding in fear? how adult male western chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) adjust to predation and savanna habitat pressures.we evaluated risk-sensitive foraging in adult male western chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) occupying a savanna environment at fongoli, senegal. the aim of this study was to determine how the risks of predation and heat stress influenced their behavior while feeding on a key food, fruit of the baobab tree (adansonia digitata).201728369733
patterns in gut microbiota similarity associated with degree of sociality among sex classes of a neotropical primate.studies of human and domestic animal models indicate that related individuals and those that spend the most time in physical contact typically have more similar gut microbial communities. however, few studies have examined these factors in wild mammals where complex social dynamics and a variety of interacting environmental factors may impact the patterns observed in controlled systems. here, we explore the effect of host kinship and time spent in social contact on the gut microbiota of wild, bl ...201728124727
unexpected cardiac death during anaesthesia of a young rabbit associated with fibro-fatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium.a 6-month-old female pet rabbit was presented for routine ovariectomy. the pre-anaesthetic evaluation was unremarkable and no anaesthetic complications occurred during the procedure. however, at the end of the surgery, the rabbit suddenly showed acute bradycardia and cardiac death. necropsy examination revealed marked dilation of the right ventricle, associated with diffuse thinning of the right ventricular free wall. gross and histopathological findings were suggestive of a congenital dilated c ...201727894597
initiation of mtdna transcription is followed by pausing, and diverges across human cell types and during evolution.mitochondrial dna (mtdna) genes are long known to be cotranscribed in polycistrones, yet it remains impossible to study nascent mtdna transcripts quantitatively in vivo using existing tools. to this end, we used deep sequencing (gro-seq and pro-seq) and analyzed nascent mtdna-encoded rna transcripts in diverse human cell lines and metazoan organisms. surprisingly, accurate detection of human mtdna transcription initiation sites (tiss) in the heavy and light strands revealed a novel conserved tra ...201728049628
chimpanzees routinely fish for algae with tools during the dry season in bakoun, guinea.wild chimpanzees regularly use tools, made from sticks, leaves, or stone, to find flexible solutions to the ecological challenges of their environment. nevertheless, some studies suggest strong limitations in the tool-using capabilities of chimpanzees. in this context, we present the discovery of a newly observed tool-use behavior in a population of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) living in the bakoun classified forest, guinea, where a temporary research site was established for 15 months. b ...201727813136
a radiographic study of permanent molar development in wild virunga mountain gorillas of known chronological age from rwanda.while dental development is important to life history investigations, data from wild known-aged great apes are scarce. we report on the first radiographic examination of dental development in wild virunga mountain gorillas, using known-age skeletal samples recovered in rwanda.201728251607
prevalence of an unusual hypoplastic defect of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor in great apes.in this article, i describe a previously unreported maxillary lateral incisor defect (mlid) of the enamel in great apes and evaluate potential general causes (genetic, systemic stress, or localized disturbance), as well as examine differences in prevalence among the represented taxa. this defect occurred only on the labial surface of the maxillary lateral incisor and extended from the cervical-mesial quarter of the crown to the mesial edge of the cementoenamel junction (cej). the study sample co ...201727643754
dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (dhea-s), sex, and age in zoo-housed western lowland gorillas (gorilla gorilla gorilla).among humans, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (dhea-s) declines with age and is hypothesized to be involved in somatic maintenance and healthy aging. men have significantly higher dhea-s than women, contradicting longer lifespans in the latter. declines of dhea-s with age also are observed in chimpanzees. in both chimpanzees and bonobos, males and females show no differences in dhea-s production. based on human and chimpanzee data, gorillas were predicted to show declining dhea-s with age. simila ...201728229260
leaf swallowing and parasite expulsion in khao yai white-handed gibbons (hylobates lar), the first report in an asian ape species.leaf swallowing behavior, known as a form of self-medication for the control of nematode and tapeworm infection, occurs widely in all the african great apes (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, p. t. troglodytes, p. t. verus, p. t. vellerosus, pan paniscus, gorilla gorilla graueri), except mountain gorillas. it is also reported to occur in a similar context across a wide array of other animal taxa including, domestic dogs, wolves, brown bears, and civets. despite long-term research on asian great an ...201728118500
structure and evolution of the filaggrin gene repeated region in primates.the evolutionary dynamics of repeat sequences is quite complex, with some duplicates never having differentiated from each other. two models can explain the complex evolutionary process for repeated genes-concerted and birth-and-death, of which the latter is driven by duplications maintained by selection. copy number variations caused by random duplications and losses in repeat regions may modulate molecular pathways and therefore affect phenotypic characteristics in a population, resulting in i ...201728077068
gastrointestinal parasite infections and self-medication in wild chimpanzees surviving in degraded forest fragments within an agricultural landscape mosaic in uganda.monitoring health in wild great apes is integral to their conservation and is especially important where they share habitats with humans, given the potential for zoonotic pathogen exchange. we studied the intestinal parasites of wild chimpanzees (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) inhabiting degraded forest fragments amid farmland and villages in bulindi, uganda. we first identified protozoan and helminth parasites infecting this population. sixteen taxa were demonstrated microscopically (9 protozo ...201728692673
a four-biomarker blood signature discriminates systemic inflammation due to viral infection versus other etiologies.the innate immune system of humans and other mammals responds to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (pamps) that are conserved across broad classes of infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. we hypothesized that a blood-based transcriptional signature could be discovered indicating a host systemic response to viral infection. previous work identified host transcriptional signatures to individual viruses including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and dengue, but the generality o ...201728588308
hepatic expression of cytochrome p450 enzymes in non-human primate species.cytochromes p450 (p450) largely remain to be characterized in great apes. comparative immunochemical detection of drug metabolizing forms of p450s 1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2j, 3a, 4a, and 4f in liver microsomes from chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, and common marmosets were carried out.201728664555
modern-day siv viral diversity generated by extensive recombination and cross-species transmission.cross-species transmission (cst) has led to many devastating epidemics, but is still a poorly understood phenomenon. hiv-1 and hiv-2 (human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2), which have collectively caused over 35 million deaths, are the result of multiple csts from chimpanzees, gorillas, and sooty mangabeys. while the immediate history of hiv is known, there are over 45 lentiviruses that infect specific species of primates, and patterns of host switching are not well characterized. we thus took a ...201728672035
comparison of hand use and forelimb posture during vertical climbing in mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) and chimpanzees (pan troglodytes).studies on grasping and limb posture during arboreal locomotion in great apes in their natural environment are scarce and thus, attempts to correlate behavioral and habitat differences with variation in morphology are limited. the aim of this study is to compare hand use and forelimb posture during vertical climbing in wild, habituated mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) and semi-free-ranging chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) to assess differences in the climbing styles that may relate to ...201728872656
variation in hunting behaviour in neighbouring chimpanzee communities in the budongo forest, uganda.hunting and sharing of meat is seen across all chimpanzee sites, with variation in prey preferences, hunting techniques, frequencies, and success rates. here, we compared hunting and meat-eating behaviour in two adjacent chimpanzee communities (pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of budongo forest, uganda: the waibira and sonso communities. we observed consistent between-group differences in prey-species preferences and in post-hunting behaviour. sonso chimpanzees show a strong prey preference for g ...201728636646
novel highly divergent sapoviruses detected by metagenomics analysis in straw-colored fruit bats in cameroon.sapoviruses (savs) belong to the sapovirus genus, in the family caliciviridae. they have been associated with gastroenteritis in humans and in pigs but not in other animals. in addition, some strains from pigs, chimpanzees and rodents show close sequence identity with human savs thereby suggesting the possibility of interspecies transmissions. bats are known to be a major reservoir of zoonotic viruses, however, very little is known about the genetic diversity of savs in bats. to explore the gene ...201728536431
are great apes able to reason from multi-item samples to populations of food items?inductive learning from limited observations is a cognitive capacity of fundamental importance. in humans, it is underwritten by our intuitive statistics, the ability to draw systematic inferences from populations to randomly drawn samples and vice versa. according to recent research in cognitive development, human intuitive statistics develops early in infancy. recent work in comparative psychology has produced first evidence for analogous cognitive capacities in great apes who flexibly drew in ...201728877364
blood product transfusions in great apes: a retrospective review of 12 cases.although the administration of blood and blood products can be lifesaving, transfusions in exotic species are less common because of the lack of knowledge of a species' blood groups, the availability of species-specific donors, and possible adverse effects. recently, blood groups were elucidated in great apes; however, few reports have been published regarding actual transfusion situations in these species. this information is critical because poorly executed transfusions can compromise already ...201728749288
intraspecific gestural laterality in chimpanzees and gorillas and the impact of social propensities.a relevant approach to address the mechanisms underlying the emergence of the right-handedness/left-hemisphere language specialization of humans is to investigate both proximal and distal causes of language lateralization through the study of non-human primates' gestural laterality. we carried out the first systematic, quantitative comparison of within-subjects' and between-species' laterality by focusing on the laterality of intraspecific gestures of chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) and gorillas ( ...201728601632
sagittal crest formation in great apes and gibbons.the frequency of sagittal crest expression and patterns of sagittal crest growth and development have been documented in hominoids, including some extinct hominin taxa, and the more frequent expression of the sagittal crest in males has been traditionally linked with the need for larger-bodied individuals to have enough attachment area for the temporalis muscle. in the present study, we investigate sagittal cresting in a dentally mature sample of four hominoid taxa (pan troglodytes schweinfurthi ...201728418109
identification and molecular characterization of novel primate bocaparvoviruses from wild western lowland gorillas of moukalaba-doudou national park, gabon.bocaparvoviruses have been studied extensively owing to their ability to cause respiratory illness or gastroenteritis in humans. some bocaparvoviruses have been detected in non-human primates (gorillas and chimpanzees), but the diversity and evolution of these viruses are not fully understood. in this study, we collected 107 fecal samples from wild western lowland gorillas in moukalaba-doudou national park in gabon to investigate the presence of bocaparvoviruses. using a combination of pan-bocap ...201728495649
no impact of strongylid infections on the detection of plasmodium spp. in faeces of western lowland gorillas and eastern chimpanzees.although a high genetic diversity of plasmodium spp. circulating in great apes has been revealed recently due to non-invasive methods enabling detection in faecal samples, little is known about the actual mechanisms underlying the presence of plasmodium dna in faeces. great apes are commonly infected by strongylid nematodes, including hookworms, which cause intestinal bleeding. the impact of strongylid infections on the detection of plasmodium dna in faeces was assessed in wild, western, lowland ...201728446233
evidence for expansion of the precuneus in human evolution.the evolution of neurocranial morphology in homo sapiens is characterized by bulging of the parietal region, a feature unique to our species. in modern humans, expansion of the parietal surface occurs during the first year of life, in a morphogenetic stage which is absent in chimpanzees and neandertals. a similar variation in brain shape among living adult humans is associated with expansion of the precuneus. using mri-derived structural brain templates, we compare medial brain morphology betwee ...201726725108
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