Virologists unravel mystery of late 20th century gibbon leukaemia outbreak

Date: November 17, 2016

Source: University of Nottingham

The mystery of an outbreak of lymphoma and leukemia in gibbon colonies in the US, Bermuda and Thailand in the late 1960s and early 1970s has been solved by animal disease detectives at The University of Nottingham.

The virology experts from the University's Vet School have carried out an investigation into the cancer outbreak which was caused by the gibbon ape leukemia retrovirus (GALV). They found it was most likely caused inadvertently by the unregulated international trading of gibbons and laboratory work on viruses in US military and other medical research facilities.

In a paper published in Mammal Review, the researchers crucially also found no evidence of infection in current populations of captive gibbons -- an endangered species -- and no evidence that the virus is still a threat.

Lecturer in Veterinary Cellular Microbiology, Dr Rachael Tarlinton, explained: "We thought the strange outbreak of gibbon ape leukemia and lymphoma in certain colonies fifty years ago was an enigma worth investigating, not least to see if we could find any evidence that GALV is still a problem among live populations today.

"Our review brings together published literature and laboratory records from early research into GALV which is a known contaminant of laboratory cell culture. We also analysed correspondence about the transportation of gibbons during the 60s and 70s, laboratory and zoological records to discover the origin of the retrovirus and how it could have been transmitted."

The investigation found that lymphoma and leukemia were not recorded in gibbons until the 1960s when cases were reported in gibbons in or imported to the US from south-east Asia. In 1969 cases of malignant lymphoma were reported in a single colony of white-handed gibbons in a US military research facility in Bangkok, Thailand and were at the time attributed to an unknown infectious agent. This agent was identified as GALV retrovirus, which was not native to the species, two years later when five more gibbons in the same colony were diagnosed with leukemia.

The researchers found that the virus was almost certainly inadvertently transmitted to the gibbons from rodents by medical researchers working on human diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

The team also found that the unregulated trading of research gibbons at the time may have even caused GALV infection found in a monkey kept as a pet in a San Francisco apartment which went on to develop lymphosarcoma.

Continued 

The hoo's hoo of gibbon communication

Date:

April 7, 2015

Source:

BioMed Central

Summary:

The secret communication of gibbons has been interpreted for the first time, researchers report. The research reveals the likely meaning of a number of distinct gibbon whispers, or 'hoo' calls, responding to particular events and types of predator, and could provide clues on the evolution of human speech.

Continued ...

Gibbons Become Last Ape To Have Their Genomes Sequenced

September 12 2014

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

New research appearing in Thursday’s edition of the journal Nature details the successful sequencing and annotation of the gibbon genome, meaning that scientists have now mapped the DNA of all of the world’s ape species.

The study authors, which included scientists from Oregon Health & Science University and the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine, explained that the small arboreal apes, which are native to the tropical forests of Southeastern Asia, demonstrate an accelerated rate of chromosomal rearrangement and occupy a key node in the primate phylogeny between Old World monkeys and great apes.

In their paper, they detail the genetic sequence of a northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys), including the characterization of a gibbon-specific mobile genetic element known as LAVA. LAVA, which is comprised of known jumping genes and named after its main components (L1, Alu, and the VA section of SVA mobile elements), is only the second type of composite mobile element to ever be discovered in primates.

“Everything we learn about the genome sequence of this particular primate and others analyzed in the recent past helps us to understand human biology in a more detailed and complete way,” lead author Dr. Jeffrey Rogers, associate professor in the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor, said in a statement.

“The gibbon sequence represents a branch of the primate evolutionary tree that spans the gap between the Old World Monkeys and great apes and has not yet been studied in this way. The new genome sequence provides important insight into their unique and rapid chromosomal rearrangements,” Dr. Rogers explained.

Read more at

Gibbons on Helium Trill Like Opera Singers

Gibbons effortlessly use the same techniques as professional opera singers when calling out to other animals, scientists found by listening to the squeaky songs of one of the apes on helium.

The Japanese study provides evidence for an unusual physiological similarity between gibbons and humans.

"The complexity of human speech is unique among primates as it requires varied soft sounds made by the rapid movements of vocal tracts," lead researcher Takeshi Nishimura, from the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, said in a statement. "Our speech was thought to have evolved through specific modifications in our vocal anatomy. However, we've shown how the gibbons' distinctive song uses the same vocal mechanics as soprano singers, revealing a fundamental similarity with humans."

Continued:  http://www.livescience.com/22628-gibbons-helium-opera-singers.html

Pictures: Hundreds of Rare Gibbons Found in Vietnam

A male northern white-cheeked gibbon (left) and a mother carrying her baby hang out in a treetop in Vietnam's Pu Mat National Park in a recent picture.

The animals are part of a newfound population of more than 400 of the gibbons, which are deemed critically endangered in Vietnam and Laos by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The gibbons, which have declined due to widespread hunting and logging of their habitat, are likely extinct in China.

Conservation International had been searching for the rare primates since 2008, finding only a few scattered groups—until now. New auditory sampling surveys—during which researchers record the calls of gibbon "families"—have revealed that Pu Mat is home to 130 gibbon groups, for an overall population of roughly 455 individuals.

The discovery of such a large gibbon population may mean the species has a better chance of long-term survival, the scientists say.

Rachel Kaufman
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/07/pictures/110721-rare-gibbon-species-population-found-vietnam/