title: Transmission of a minor variant of transcriptionally active HIV-1.
abstract: We investigated the genotypic variation of pro-viral human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA in a virus donor-recipient pair by comparing sequences from the HIV-1 V3 region of the gp120 gene and the p17gag gene. We found that the transmitted virus was a minor variant in the donor's virus population in blood. Possible selection mechanisms within the host (neutralization by antibodies) were studied in order to investigate whether antibodies could explain the conserved HIV genotype found in the recipient. In conclusion, our data indicate that a minor variant of pro-viral transcriptionally active HIV-1 found in PBMC was transmitted from donor to recipient. Development of a homogeneous genotype regarding the V3 region (V3d-B1(1)) of pro-viral DNA in the recipient's PBMC and a partially homogeneous genotype regarding the HIV-RNA was possibly caused by an envelope associated selection that is not dependent upon neutralizing antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machuca
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schønning
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bruun
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fomsgaard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011533:Proviruses; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral