title: Sequence analysis of the V1-V2 hypervariable region of the HIV-1 envelope gene from pediatric patients.
abstract: The presence of HIV-1 DNA sequence variants of pediatric AIDS patients was investigated in a two-stage polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using nested primers for the first and second (V1-V2) hypervariable regions of the proviral envelope (gp 120) gene (env1). Gel electrophoresis analysis yielded amplified DNA bands which exhibited length variations which were characteristic for each child. The PCR products were cloned and the resulting clones demonstrated inserts of different lengths in a patient and between patients. Analysis of five clones from two different patients at the level of DNA sequencing indicates an extreme heterogeneity in the V1-V2 region. DNA maximum similarity between all of the isolated clones ranged between 69 to 96%. Comparison between DNA sequences of the isolated clones and HIV-1 strains of other parts of the world was also performed. The highest percentage of similarity that was found with known HIV variants included the following strains: HIVADA, HIVJFL, HIVSW42, HIVSWB83, HIVTRA2, HIVWMJ22. The sequences also showed a high degree of similarity to the clade B virus HIVSF162. The analyzed HIV-1 sequences demonstrated the expected high degree of variation in the V1-V2 region of the envelope gene and in some cases that the variation between isolates from the same patient may exceed the variation between the individual clones and the reference HIV-1 strains.
authors.affiliation: University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, San Juan 00936-5067.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ramos Martinez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cadilla
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011647:Puerto Rico; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region