title: Characterization of an HIV-2-related virus with a smaller sized extracellular envelope glycoprotein.
abstract: A new isolate of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related to the HIV-2 strain was isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of an Ivory Coast patient with AIDS. This isolate referred to as HIV-2 EHO could be differentiated by its envelope precursor and external glycoprotein which are 20-kDa smaller than those of HIV-2 ROD isolate. Furthermore, the apparent molecular weight of the major core protein of HIV-2 EHO is 27 kDa instead of 26 kDa as in HIV-2 ROD isolate. In addition, the product of the vpx gene which is a characteristic feature of the HIV-2 strain, is 14 kDa in HIV-2 EHO compared with 16 kDa in HIV-2 ROD. In contrast to these, the envelope precursor of HIV-2 EHO forms a transient dimer its maturation as is the case for HIV-2 ROD. In both cases the transmembrane proteins are 36 kDa and exists as homodimers of 80 kDa. Endoglycosidase H digestion experiments indicated that the 20-kDa difference between the two HIV-2 isolates is not due to a difference in the number of N-linked oligosaccharide chains per polypeptide, since deglycosylated envelope precursors of HIV-2 ROD and EHO have an apparent molecular weight of 80 and 60 kDa, respectively. Partial proteolysis of the envelope precursors from the two isolates with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease gave a distinct pattern of polypeptides. These results suggest that the differences between the external envelope proteins of the two HIV-2 isolates are due to their amino acid composition. Accordingly, polyclonal antibodies raised against HIV-2 ROD envelope do not recognize the corresponding envelope proteins of HIV-2 EHO by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation assays. These data illustrate that analysis of viral proteins could be useful for a rapid characterization of new viral isolates and show the heterogeneity of HIV-2 isolates in West Africa.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Oncologie Virale (URA CNRS 153), Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krust
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guétard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montagnier
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hovanessian
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000032:analysis; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000032:analysis; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D010455:Peptides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins