title: Molecular characterization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates from Venezuela.
abstract: Eight HIV-1 isolates from Venezuela have been characterized by nucleotide sequencing of the entire reverse transcriptase (RT)- and surface glycoprotein (gp 120)-coding regions. Average mutant frequencies were 2.5 x 10(-2) substitutions per nucleotide (s/nt) for the RT-coding region, and 10 x 10(-2) or 6.8 x 10(-2) s/nt for the gp120-coding region, depending on whether gaps introduced for optimal alignment were or were not, respectively, considered in the calculations. Phylogenetic trees were derived by maximum-likelihood, neighbor-joining, and maximum parsimony methods. In the trees derived from both RT- and gp120-coding regions, Venezuelan isolates cluster with subtype B viruses. However, the relative position of some of the isolates is considerably different in the two trees. Unique V3 loop amino acid sequences, not represented in the current database, have been identified among the Venezuelan isolates. In addition to representing the first molecular characterization of HIV-1 from Venezuela, the extensive genetic heterogeneity observed reinforces the interest in characterizing additional HIV-1 isolates worldwide for adequate vaccine design.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Spain.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Quiñones-Mateu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dopazo
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Esté
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D015752:Genes, env; D015751:Genes, pol; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase