Characterization of Papillomavirus in African Lions (Panthera leo): A Look at Botswana

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that can manifest as physical lesions and are capable of causing cancer, is a widely researched topic that has resulted in the identification of hundreds of lineages and sublineages that further the study of human genetics and carries medical applications. Other papillomaviruses (PVs), including feline papillomavirus (FPV), are not the focus of PV studies. FPV, however, can be relevant to felids as a whole, specific species, and can increase general understanding of papillomaviruses. This study examines the characteristics of FPV in African lions (Panthera leo) by extracting and amplifying tissue and swab samples from Botswana, constructing a phylogenetic tree, and calculating distance values from the resulting sequences. An additional group of FPV samples from Tanzania were also sequenced and a phylogenetic tree was built using data from both locations using the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) PlpPV-1 FPV sequence available in PaVE as a marker. With this analysis, three additional types of papillomavirus in lions were identified and further compared with the FPV sequences of other felids. The results indicate that FPV in lions does deviate into distinct types despite geographic boundaries, suggesting that analysis of a greater sample pool would provide more detailed information and patterns concerning types of FPV in lion populations. Research performed in conjunction with the Departmental Honors projects of Katherine Stang and Riana Caldwell.