Temporal fluctuations in HIV quasispecies in vivo are not reflected by sequential HIV isolations.
A genetic study has been made of the HIV tat gene from sequential HIV-1 isolates and the corresponding infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells. DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into a eukaryotic expression vector. Twenty clones were sequenced from each sample. Comparing the sequential HIV isolates, abrupt differences were seen between the major forms of each isolate. These progressive changes were not reflected at all among the in vitro samples. The fluctuation in the quasispecies in vivo may suggest a much more dynamic role for latently infected mononuclear cells. High frequencies of functionally defective tat genes were identified. Given such complexity and the evident differences between quasispecies in vivo and in vitro, the task of defining HIV infection in molecular terms will be difficult.
Meyerhans
A
A
Laboratoire de Biologie et Immunologie Moléculaires des Rétrovirus, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Cheynier
R
R
Albert
J
J
Seth
M
M
Kwok
S
S
Sninsky
J
J
Morfeldt-Månson
L
L
Asjö
B
B
Wain-Hobson
S
S
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015696:Gene Products, tat; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006678:HIV / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013045:Species Specificity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015696:Gene Products, tat; D014157:Transcription Factors; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus