Differentiation between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2 isolates by nonradioisotopic reverse transcriptase-typing assay.
We tested whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) could be differentiated from HIV-2 by a reverse transcriptase (RT)-typing assay that measured the reduction of enzyme activity owing to specific antibody. RT-inhibiting antibody was examined for HIV type specificity by a new nonradioisotopic RT assay. Antibodies from four rabbits immunized with recombinant HIV-1 RT and from 23 HIV-1-seropositive individuals all specifically inhibited the enzyme activities of two HIV-1 strains (LAV-1 and GH-3), three zidovudine-resistant HIV-1 mutants, and a recombinant HIV-1 RT. However, none of these antisera affected the activities of six HIV-2 strains (GH-1, GH-2, GH-4, GH-5, GH-6, LAV-2ROD), Rous-associated virus type 2, and DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli. In contrast, HIV-2 antibody from a rabbit immunized with disrupted GH-1 virions blocked the enzyme activities of the six HIV-2 strains but not those of the three HIV-1 strains, Rous-associated virus type 2, or DNA polymerase I. These results indicate that the antigenic domains of HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs recognized by their inhibiting antibodies are distinct from each other and are highly conserved. Clinical HIV isolates from 18 HIV-1-seropositive individuals and 3 HIV-2-seropositive Ghanaian individuals were identified as HIV-1 and HIV-2, respectively, by the nonradioisotopic RT-typing assay.
Urabe
T
T
Department of Microbiology, Osaka Medical College, Japan.
Sano
K
K
Nakano
T
T
Odawara
F
F
Lee
M H
MH
Otake
T
T
Okubo
S
S
Hayami
M
M
Misaki
H
H
Baba
M
M
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000382:microbiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C072416:reverse transcriptase, Human immunodeficiency virus 2; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase