title: Nucleotide sequences of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) from a family cluster with tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
abstract: We describe nucleotide sequences of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviruses from three symptomatic family members with tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) from Tumaco, Colombia. Polymerase chain reaction was used to clone the U3 region, envelope and tax/rex genes of these HTLV-I proviruses from fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes. Sequences in U3, env and tax/rex showed 96.9-99.5% conservation when compared with sequences from HTLV-I clone ATK, and 96.6-100% when compared with each other. The range of sequence divergence within the family was similar to that described between unrelated TSP/HAM patients of the same geographical origin. Certain mutations were present in all three family members, supporting a geographic and/or familial segregation of mutations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Renjifo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osterman
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Borrero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Essex
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D017411:Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear