Identification of a highly divergent HIV type 2 and proposal for a change in HIV type 2 classification.
We report the complete genome sequence of a highly divergent strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2), 96FR12034, identified in France from a patient of West African origin. This lineage, H, represents only the third definitive instance of a monkey-to-human transfer of SIVsm that has given rise to pathogenic HIV-2. As the different "subtypes" of HIV-2 are analogous to the different groups of HIV-1 we propose that HIV-2 subtypes henceforth by renamed groups in agreement with the HIV Nomenclature Committee. The single-strain lineages C to G and the 96FR12034 lineage identified here should be considered only as putative groups until related strains are identified that confirm circulation of these viruses in the human population.
Damond
Florence
F
Virology Department, Hôpital Bichat, 75877 Paris 18, France.
Worobey
Michael
M
Campa
Pauline
P
Farfara
Isabelle
I
Colin
Gilles
G
Matheron
Sophie
S
Brun-Vézinet
Françoise
F
Robertson
David L
DL
Simon
François
F
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005602:France; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D015047:Zoonoses
D004279:DNA, Viral