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Phylogenetic analysis of small ruminant lentiviruses in Mongolian sheep supports an ancient east-west split for the genotype A

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Abstract

The ovine maedi-visna virus (MVV) and caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) are small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) with striking genetic and structural similarities. The presence of SRLV in Mongolian sheep and goats was serologically demonstrated more than a decade ago; however, the viral genotype remains unknown. In total, 329 blood samples were collected from two sheep breeds (i.e., Khalkha and Sumber) in Tov, Govisumber, Arkhangay, Dornogovi, Zavkhan, and Sukhbaatar provinces, Mongolia. Serological and phylogenetic analyses were performed regardless of any apparent clinical signs, although most of the animals appeared healthy. All sheep in three of the six provinces were seronegative, whereas the seroprevalence in the Tov, Govisumber, and Zavkhan provinces averaged 7.9%. Genomic DNA from seropositive animals was tested using hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction, and sub-genomic SRLV sequences were determined from nine samples. Mongolian SRLV sequences clustered within the divergent subtype A22, which was previously found only in Fertile Crescent regions, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Iran, where the first sheep-domestication (Ovis aries) occurred. According to the phylogenetic analysis, genotype A has two ancestors from the ancient Fertile Crescent: (1) Turkish strains and (2) Iranian, Jordanian, and Lebanese strains. The first ancestor spread westward, whereas the second spread eastward, ultimately reaching Mongolia.

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No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the veterinarians of the Tov, Zavkhan, and Govisumber provinces, the State Breeding Agency of Govisumber province, and former veterinary students Tserennadmid Lhagva, Nyamgarav Baasanjav, and Naranzul Enkhtur for their kind help.

Funding

This work was supported mainly by the “Project for Strengthening the Practical Capacity of Public and Private Veterinarians” MJ-Vet project A02 supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and partially by the Science & Technology Foundation (STF) of Mongolia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Zaisan, Ulaanbaatar, 17024, Mongolia

    Nergui Davaasuren, Tseren-Ochir Erdene-Ochir, Guugandaa Nyamdavaa & Sharav Tumenjargal

  2. Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Ludwigstrasse 21, 35390, Giessen, Germany

    Vahid Molaee & Gesine Lühken

  3. Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 14021, Mongolia

    Sumiya Ganzorig

  4. Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 20159, Pisa, Italy

    Maurizio Mazzei

  5. Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, 060-0818, Japan

    Yoshihiro Sakoda

Authors
  1. Nergui Davaasuren
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  2. Vahid Molaee
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Contributions

Conceived of or designed study: DN, ST; Performed the investigation and data validation: DN, SG, NG, MM, YS; Analysed data: DN, ST, VM, TE, GL; Wrote the original manuscript, and revised the paper: ST, DN, GL, VM.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharav Tumenjargal.

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Ethics approval

All the procedures involving animals were done in compliance with animal welfare and ethical guidelines provided by the Ethical Committee of the Veterinary Science and Bio-medical Research (permit, ref.: VSBMR23/01/24) at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Davaasuren, N., Molaee, V., Erdene-Ochir, TO. et al. Phylogenetic analysis of small ruminant lentiviruses in Mongolian sheep supports an ancient east-west split for the genotype A. Vet Res Commun 48, 1955–1962 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10361-9

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