Diverse host–virus interactions following caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus infection in sheep and goats

Abstract

Interspecies transmissions substantially contribute to the epidemiology of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs), including caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) and visna-maëdi virus. However, comprehensive studies of host–virus interactions during SRLV adaptation to the new host are lacking. In this study, virological and serological features were analysed over a 6 month period in five sheep and three goats experimentally infected with a CAEV strain. Provirus load at the early stage of infection was significantly higher in sheep than in goats. A broad antibody reactivity against the matrix and capsid proteins was detected in goats, whereas the response to these antigens was mostly type-specific in sheep. The humoral response to the major immunodominant domain of the surface unit glycoprotein was type-specific, regardless of the host species. These species-specific immune responses were then confirmed in naturally infected sheep and goats using sera from mixed flocks in which interspecies transmissions were reported. Taken together, these results provide evidence that SRLV infections evolve in a host-dependent manner, with distinct host–virus interactions in sheep and goats, and highlight the need to consider both SRLV genotypes in diagnosis, particularly in sheep.