Molecular cloning of two west African human immunodeficiency virus type 2 isolates that replicate well in macrophages: a Gambian isolate, from a patient with neurologic acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and a highly divergent Ghanian isolate.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2)-related viruses were isolated from a Gambian dying of exclusively neurological disease (HIV-2D194) and from an asymptomatic Ghanian (HIV-2D205). Both strains exhibited properties of HIV-1 biological subtype c: they grew slowly and induced few or no syncytia but eventually produced high levels of particle-associated reverse transcriptase in cultures of fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes, and they established stable infection of T-lymphoma (HUT-78) and monocytic (U937) cell lines. Each produced even higher levels of reverse transcriptase when fresh human monocytes/macrophages were used as target cells. The viruses were molecularly cloned after a single passage in culture, in order to minimize in vitro selection of subtypes present in vivo. Restriction-site analysis showed heterogeneity within each isolate. Nucleotide sequence analysis of a portion of the HIV-2D194 genome revealed that it is a member of the prototypic HIV-2 family, displaying 13% divergence versus HIV-2ROD and HIV-2NIHZ, as compared to 9% divergence between HIV-2ROD and HIV-2NIHZ. In contrast, HIV-2D205 is the most highly divergent HIV-2 strain yet described: it is equidistant in relation between the known HIV-2 strains and the simian immunodeficiency virus isolates from rhesus macaque monkeys (23-25% divergence).
Kühnel
H
H
Chemotherapeutisches Forschungsinstitut, Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany.
von Briesen
H
H
Dietrich
U
U
Adamski
M
M
Mix
D
D
Biesert
L
L
Kreutz
R
R
Immelmann
A
A
Henco
K
K
Meichsner
C
C
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005714:Gambia; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase