Genetic and antigenic variability of HIV type 1 in Brazil.
Six Brazilian strains of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were isolated from infected individuals residing in different regions of Brazil between 1987 and 1989. Phylogenetic analysis based on an 860-base pair env fragment, including V3, V4, V5, and the beginning of gp41, classified the Brazilian strains significantly in genotype B, with interhost distances between 5.9 and 13.1% (mean value, 10%). Amino acid sequence analysis of the V3 loop revealed that three strains contained the North American/European GPGR motif as the tip of the loop whereas in the other three strains proline (P) was substituted by tryptophan (W), methionine (M), or phenylalanine (F). A consensus peptide, Bra-cons, was designed containing GWGR as the tip of the loop. Serological reactivity to the Bra-cons peptide and other V3 peptides (MN, SF2, HBX2, RF, MAL, ELI, Z6, and a Côte d'Ivoire peptide, CI-cons) was compared for 114 HIV-1-positive sera from Rio de Janeiro. Sixty-nine sera (60.5%) reacted with peptides belonging to genotype B, of which 10 sera also reacted with peptides belonging to genotype A (n = 7) and D (n = 3). Eighteen sera (15.8%) had binding antibodies to the Bra-cons peptide. A high number of sera (n = 43; 37.7%) had no antibodies to any of the V3 peptides tested. This result suggests that HIV-1 variants with aberrant V3 loops may circulate in Rio de Janeiro.
Couto-Fernandez
J C
JC
Advanced Public Health Laboratory, Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Bahia CEP, Brazil.
Janssens
W
W
Heyndrickx
L
L
Motte
J
J
Fransen
K
K
Peeters
M
M
Delaporte
E
E
Galvão-Castro
B
B
Piot
P
P
van der Groen
G
G
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015752:Genes, env; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D005843:Geography; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies