Molecular cloning and analysis of full-length genome of HIV type 1 strains prevalent in countries of the former Soviet Union.
The HIV-1 epidemic among injecting drug users (IDUs) in countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) was caused mainly by two HIV-1 variants: subtype A and CRF03-AB. To date only three full-length HIV-I genomes from the FSU have been sequenced: one subtype A from Byelorussia and two CRF03-AB from Russia. We report the full-length genome cloning and analysis of two more HIV-1 strains from the FSU countries (98UA0116 of subtype A and 98BY10443 of CRF03-AB). Isolate 98UA0116 is the second cloned and sequenced full-length HIV-1 genome of subtype A lineage from the FSU, which may be a novel subsubtype within sub-type A. Isolate 98BY10443 is the third full-length HIV-1 genome of CRF03-AB in the world to be cloned and sequenced. Additionally, it is the first CRF03-AB strain discovered in Byelorussia. Cloned genomic sequences of the FSU HIV-1 isolates are being used for the development of a region-specific HIV-1 vaccine.
Masharsky
Alexei E
AE
The Biomedical Center, Pudozhskaja st. 7, 197110 St. Petersburg, Russia. masharsky@biomed.spb.ru
Klimov
Nikolai A
NA
Kozlov
Andrei P
AP
D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology