Isolation and characterization of a highly divergent HIV-2[GH-2]: generation of an infectious molecular clone and functional analysis of its rev-responsive element in response to primate retrovirus transactivators (Rev and Rex).
A highly divergent HIV-2 designated as HIV-2[GH-2] was obtained from an AIDS-related complex (ARC) patient in Ghana. A full-length molecular clone of this isolate was obtained and a biologically active clone was constructed. Its restriction pattern differed from that of prototype HIV-2[GH-1] in 25 of 35 restriction sites, but was strikingly similar to a previously characterized HIV-2 isolate from a Ghanaian (HIV-2ALT). The conserved integrase region (288-bp fragment) previously displayed 95% identity with that of ALT but 17-20% divergence from the HIV-2 prototype member, and a new distinct subgroup (HIV-2b) of HIV-2 consisting of GH-2 and ALT was postulated (Miura et al. 1991.) These isolates, however, were biologically distinguishable from each other by its replication capacity in a monocyte line, U937, in which GH-2 could not grow but ALT grew well. In addition, the nucleotide sequence of the LTR of this new isolate displays 21% divergence from that of prototype HIV-2[GH-1], but the core enhancer, Sp1 binding sites and TATA box were conserved. Although the 3' half of the env gene sequence which is deleted in HIV-2ALT clone showed 27% diversity from the prototype, functional differences in the rev-responsive element were not observed.
Kawamura
M
M
Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Japan.
Katahira
J
J
Fukasawa
M
M
Sakuragi
J
J
Ishikawa
K
K
Nakai
M
M
Mingle
J A
JA
Osei-Kwasi
M
M
Netty
V B
VB
Akari
H
H
D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016355:Genes, pX; D015757:Genes, rev; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D004279:DNA, Viral