title: The human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) contains a novel gene encoding a 16 kD protein associated with mature virions.
abstract: The HIV-2 genome contains an open reading frame (designated X-orf) that does not have a counterpart in HIV-1. To establish whether X-orf is a gene, we studied its expression in HIV-2-infected individuals and in infected cells in vitro. An HIV-2 proviral DNA fragment containing the X-orf was expressed in E. coli, and the recombinant protein was used in an immunoblot assay. The X-orf protein was recognized specifically by the sera of HIV-2-infected people but not by the sera of SIV-infected monkeys or HIV-1-infected humans. A rabbit antiserum raised against the recombinant X-orf protein recognized a 16 kD protein in HIV-2-infected cells. The native X-orf protein was not glycosylated or phosphorylated, was localized in the cytoplasm of HIV-2-infected cells, and appeared to be associated with mature virions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rusche
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Keeffe
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wong-Staal
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008251:Macaca; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins