title: HIV-1 in Ethiopia: phylogenetic divergence from other HIV-1 strains.
abstract: Phylogenetic tree analysis was performed on selected polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and sequenced regions of the gag and env reading frames of several Ethiopian and Swedish human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) strains. These regions are considered to be conserved parts of the HIV-1 genome and correspond to the p7 of the core (gag) and part of the carboxy terminal of the gp41 protein of env respectively. Comparisons were made with all available HIV-1 sequences. The tree analysis showed that gag sequences from nine and env sequences from four Ethiopian strains all grouped together in separate branches distinct from all other sequenced European, North American, and African HIV-1 isolates. Thus, the Ethiopian strains seem to represent a highly divergent group of HIV-1, which might have developed during a relatively early stage of HIV-1 evolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Stockholm County Council, Sweden.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayehunie
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leinikki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sönnerborg
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Zewdie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Strannegård
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D005002:Ethiopia; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics*; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013548:Sweden; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; C071884:NCP7 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus