title: A new type of G-->A hypermutation affecting human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: A form of G-->A hypermutation preferentially affecting GA dinucleotides of genomic RNA has been found to occur in retroviral systems ("type 1"). In a detailed longitudinal study of an AIDS patient we have observed a new type of G-->A hypermutation, which preferentially affects one or more 5' G residues in runs of G's. HIV-1 proviral DNA samples obtained at widely separate times during this patient's course contained representatives of this type of G-->A hypermutation, designated "type 2." We propose that G-->A hypermutation is caused by a mutated form of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase; and that hypermutated DNA may persist for long periods in infected patients, perhaps as proviral DNA in long-lived cell lineages. Like type 1 G-->A hypermutation, type 2 G-->A hypermutation may contribute to the heterogeneity of replicating pools of HIV by recombination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway 08854.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fitzgibbon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazar
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Dubin
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015751:Genes, pol; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase