title: DNA sequence analysis of the gene encoding the HTLV-I p21e transmembrane protein reveals inter- and intraisolate genetic heterogeneity.
abstract: DNA sequence analysis was performed on a 235-bp region of the p21 e transmembrane protein gene of the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) which encompassess the putative immunosuppressive peptide. Polymerase chain reaction-based amplification was used to generate multiple molecular clones from isolates derived from fresh or cultured cells from 19 individuals. A dendrogram was constructed using the p21e DNA sequence information to compare the sequences among isolates in the current study and other previously published HTLV-I isolates including strains from Africa and Papua New Guinea. Examination of multiple clones from individual isolates revealed the presence of multiple genotypes in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. These findings suggest that HTLV-I, like HIV, may be present as a quasispecies in vivo. Our studies, however, failed to identify specific sequence motifs that segregated exclusively with the lymphoproliferative or neurological forms of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Poiesz
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics*; D005814:Genes, Viral; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C055265:gp21 protein, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1