title: HyperPack: a software package for the study of levels, contexts, and patterns of APOBEC-mediated hypermutation in HIV.
abstract: G-to-A hypermutation, a massive substitution of G for A, was first observed in HIV genomes 15 years ago. Initially ascribed to fluctuating nucleotide pools or PCR errors, it has now been recognized as the result of an important host-defense mechanism mediated by APOBECs, a family of sequence-specific cytidine deaminases. Levels of hypermutation vary, and APOBECs have different preferences for the sequence context of cytidines targeted for deamination; analysis of hypermutation provides important information about the host-virus interaction during viral replication. Here we present HyperPack, a software package to support systematic characterization of hypermutated sequences. Users can define the context of substitution for independent study of the effects of different APOBECs. The SubstrateScan and HyperScan modules are overlapping sliding-window strategies to analyze the distribution of targeted motifs and their substitution levels, respectively, across the viral genome. HyperPack is a platform-flexible, Java stand-alone application available through http://www.hivresearch.org/hyperpack/.
authors: U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 1600 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. gkijak@hivresearch.org
authors: Gustavo H
authors: GH
authors: Kijak
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Janini
authors: Sodsai
authors: S
authors: Tovanabutra
authors: Eric E
authors: EE
authors: Sanders-Buell
authors: Debora L
authors: DL
authors: Birx
authors: Merlin L
authors: ML
authors: Robb
authors: Nelson L
authors: NL
authors: Michael
authors: Francine E
authors: FE
authors: McCutchan
mesh_terms: D000071479:APOBEC-1 Deaminase; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D006678:HIV / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional / Q000235:genetics; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D000071479:APOBEC-1 Deaminase; C000605089:APOBEC1 protein, human; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase