Concordance between semen-derived HIV-1 proviral DNA and viral RNA hypervariable region 3 (V3) envelope sequences in cases where semen populations are distinct from those present in blood.
Sequence analysis of the third hypervariable region (V3) of the envelope gene of the HIV-1 was carried out on HIV proviral and viral populations present in blood and semen. Phylogenetically distinct populations of virus were observed in three of the 10 patients analysed. Although the majority of the viruses were predicted to have an R5 phenotype, amino acid differences between blood and semen-derived virus and provirus sequences were observed at sites previously shown to affect cell tropism. Importantly, the semen proviral population was representative of that observed for cell-free virus. This indicates that seminal fluid mononuclear cells are possible sources for the cell-free virus in found in semen.
Curran
Rebecca
R
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Ball
Jonathan K
JK
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
D004279:DNA, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral