title: Assessment of HIV-1 subtyping for Cameroon strains using phylogenetic analysis of pol gene sequences.
abstract: Phylogenetic analysis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pol gene is a useful method for subtyping European strains of HIV-1. The suitability of this method for genetically diverse African strains was evaluated by comparing HIV-1 subtyping of Cameroon strains using a long fragment of the pol gene sequence to the findings obtained using env gene sequences. When the pol gene could not be amplified, the reverse transcriptase (RT) or the protease (PR) genes were used. Phylogenetic analysis of the env C2/V3 gene sequences of 60 HIV-1 isolates showed 52 to be subtype A, 2 subtype G, plus one each of subtypes C, F2 and H, with 3 subtypes not determined. A long fragment of the pol gene was amplified successfully and sequenced in 23% of cases. The RT region was amplified for 42% of the samples that could not be typed by analysing the long fragment, and the PR gene was amplified for 40% of them. Thus, 63% of samples were typable. Env and pol gene subtypings were in agreement in 86% of cases. It is concluded that the phylogenetic analysis of pol gene sequences is not a practical method for HIV-1 subtyping in areas of high subtype diversity, despite the good agreement between the env and pol gene subtypings. However, it can be a useful method for HIV-1 subtyping, provided that the gene is amplifiable.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de virologie, CHU Toulouse Purpan, Place Dr Baylac, TAS40031 31059 Cedex, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Njouom
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sandres-Sauné
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harter
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Souyris
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Izopet
mesh_terms: D002163:Cameroon; D015752:Genes, env; D015751:Genes, pol; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D016333:HIV Protease