title: Highly divergent HIV type 1 group M sequences evident in Karonga District, Malawi in early 1980s.
abstract: Six divergent HIV-1 partial env and gag genome sequences have been characterized in five subjects in Malawi, from whom blood spot samples were collected between 1982 and 1989, at the time that the AIDS epidemic there was starting. These sequences could not be classified with any of the recognized subtypes or circulating recombinant forms of HIV-1. They showed no consistent and/or supported associations with other subtypes by either env or gag gene phylogenetic analysis. Their genetic distances from defined subtypes suggest that they may be diverse subsubtype C viruses or, alternatively, that they may have mosaic genomes. Bootscanning analyses are consistent with their being mosaic viruses. These sequences highlight early HIV-1 diversity in a population otherwise dominated by subtype C.
authors.affiliation: Sexually Transmitted anf Blood Borne Virus Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, UK. grace.p.mccormack@may.ie
authors.forename: Grace P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Judith R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: Amelia C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Crampin
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sibande
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mulawa
authors.forename: Paul E M
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Clewley
mesh_terms: D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA