title: Genetic variability of gag and env regions of HIV type 1 strains circulating in Slovenia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of HIV-1 strains circulating in Slovenia. Proviral DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 20 randomly selected HIV-1-infected individuals was classified into subtypes by sequence-based phylogenetic analysis of the env (C2V3) and gag (p24) regions of the viral genome. The phylogenetic tree based on env C2V3 sequences showed that 15 of the 20 samples were subtype B, two A1, one F1, one CRF01_AE, and one CRF02_AG. The phylogenetic analysis of the gag gene yielded identical results expect for one sample that had a discordant subtype; it was identified as subtype A1 in the env and AE in the gag region. Our study confirmed that although subtype B predominates, other subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) are also present in Slovenia. The high intrasubtype genetic diversity of subtype B sequences suggests a multiple introduction of subtype B strains into Slovenia.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Epidemiology, Microbiological Research Group, 1529 Budapest, Hungary. mezei@microbi.hu
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mezei
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Balog
authors.forename: Dunja Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cech
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vajna
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tauber
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seme
authors.forename: Janez
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomazic
authors.forename: Ludvik
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vidmar
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minárovits
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag