title: Genetic variation of HIV type 1 in four World Health Organization-sponsored vaccine evaluation sites: generation of functional envelope (glycoprotein 160) clones representative of sequence subtypes A, B, C, and E. WHO Network for HIV Isolation and Characterization.
abstract: As part of the WHO Network for HIV Isolation and Characterization, we PCR amplified, cloned, and sequenced gp120 and gp160 genes from 12 HIV-1 isolates collected in four WHO-sponsored vaccine evaluation sites (Brazil, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda). Envelope clones were derived from PBMC-grown isolates obtained from asymptomatic individuals within 2 years of seroconversion. Analysis of their deduced amino acid sequences identified all but one to contain an uninterrupted open reading frame. Transient expression and biological characterization of selected gp160 constructs identified six clones to encode full length and functional envelope glycoproteins. Phylogenetic analysis of their nucleotide sequences revealed that they represent HIV-1 subtypes A, B, C, and E. Since current knowledge of HIV-1 envelope immunobiology is almost exclusively derived from subtype B viruses, these reagents should facilitate future envelope structure, function and antigenicity studies on a broader spectrum of viruses. This should assist in the design and evaluation of effective vaccines against HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: McCutchan
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bradac
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012432:Rwanda / Q000453:epidemiology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D019302:HIV Envelope Protein gp160; D011498:Protein Precursors