RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Makuwa, Maria A1 Souquière, Sandrine A1 Bourry, Olivier A1 Rouquet, Pierre A1 Telfer, Paul A1 Mauclère, Philippe A1 Kazanji, Mirdad A1 Roques, Pierre A1 Simon, FrançoisYR 2007 T1 Complete-genome analysis of hepatitis B virus from wild-born chimpanzees in central Africa demonstrates a strain-specific geographical cluster JF Journal of General Virology, VO 88 IS 10 SP 2679 OP 2685 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.82992-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB In order to determine whether geographical or species clustering accounts for the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in subspecies of chimpanzees in Africa, four complete chimpanzee HBV (ChHBV) genome sequences were obtained from eight hepatitis B surface antigen-positive wild-born chimpanzees from Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Gabon. The serological profiles of these chimpanzees corresponded to the acute or chronic highly replicative phase of HBV infection, as confirmed by high plasma HBV loads. Analysis of the sequence alignment of 256 aa (S region) from the eight HBV-infected chimpanzees allowed us to determine the HBV amino acid patterns specific to each chimpanzee subspecies and to their geographical origin. Phylogenetic analysis of both the S region and the complete genome confirmed this distinctive clustering of eight novel ChHBV strains within Pan troglodytes. The strong phylogenetic associations of ChHBV sequences with both chimpanzee subspecies and their geographical origin were therefore confirmed., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82992-0