Identification of a newly characterized HIV-1 BG intersubtype circulating recombinant form in Galicia, Spain, which exhibits a pseudotype-like virion structure.
We recently reported the finding of phylogenetically related HIV-1 BG intersubtype recombinant and G subtype nonrecombinant viruses circulating among injecting drug users in the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. Here, we report the characterization of near full-length genome sequences of nine of these viruses (seven BG recombinant and two of nonrecombinant G subtype), obtained from epidemiologically unlinked individuals. Bootscan analysis reveals that six recombinant viruses share an identical mosaic structure, with two intersubtype breakpoints delimiting a B subtype segment comprising most of Env gp120 and the external portion of Env gp41, with the remaining portions of the genome being of subtype G, thus mimicking a pseudotype virion structure. The seventh BG recombinant virus exhibits breakpoints in env coincident with the other BG viruses but contains additional B subtype segments in gag and pol. In phylogenetic trees of complete genomes and of the B subtype segment of env, all seven BG viruses group in a monophyletic cluster. G subtype portions of the BG viruses group uniformly with the newly derived nonrecombinant G subtype viruses of Galicia in bootscan analysis, which points to the locally circulating G subtype strain as parental of the recombinants. These results allow us to define a new HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF14_BG), the first reported to originate in Western Europe.
Delgado
Elena
E
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo, Km. 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
Thomson
Michael M
MM
Villahermosa
María Luisa
ML
Sierra
María
M
Ocampo
Antonio
A
Miralles
Celia
C
Rodríguez-Pérez
Raúl
R
Diz-Aren
Julio
J
Ojea-de Castro
Rafael
R
Losada
Elena
E
Cuevas
María Teresa
MT
Vázquez-de Parga
Elena
E
Carmona
Rocío
R
Pérez-Alvarez
Lucía
L
Medrano
Leandro
L
Cuevas
Laureano
L
Taboada
José Antonio
JA
Nájera
Rafael
R
D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D014771:Virion
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41