Article

Molecular determinants of HIV-1 intersubtype recombination potential.

HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, P.O. Box B, Building 535, Room 336, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
Virology (impact factor: 3.35). 08/2007; 363(2):437-46. DOI:10.1016/j.virol.2007.01.034
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Sequence differences in the dimerization initiation signal (DIS) affect the rate of recombination between subtype B and subtype C HIV-1. To test the hypothesis that DIS sequences can be used to predict intersubtype recombination potentials, we measured the recombination rate between CRF01_A/E (AE) and B, which contain mismatches in the DIS, and between AE and C, which have an identical DIS. Compared with the intrasubtype recombination rate, the recombination rate between AE and subtype B virus was 9-fold lower, and the rate between AE and subtype C virus was 2-fold lower. Thus, DIS sequences can be used to predict the recombination potential between HIV-1 subtypes. Further analyses revealed that the 2-fold lower recombination rate between AE and C viruses can be restored to the intrasubtype recombination rate by matching a part of the LTR and a portion of the viral genome. Therefore, the lower intersubtype recombination rate between AE and C is not caused by a given region but is a cumulative effect by more than one region.

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Keywords

2-fold lower recombination rate
 
C viruses
 
contain mismatches
 
cumulative effect
 
dimerization initiation signal
 
DIS
 
DIS sequences
 
given region
 
identical DIS
 
intersubtype recombination potentials
 
intrasubtype recombination rate
 
lower intersubtype recombination rate
 
one region
 
recombination
 
recombination potential
 
recombination rate
 
Sequence differences
 
subtype C HIV-1
 
subtype C virus
 
viral genome