Genetic diversity of HIV-1 non-B strains in Sicily: evidence of intersubtype recombinants by sequence analysis of gag, pol, and env genes.
The molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 strains in Sicily (Italy) was phylogenetically investigated by the analysis of HIV-1 gag, pol, and env gene sequences from 11 HIV-1 non-B strains from 408 HIV-1-seropositive patients observed from September 2001 to August 2006. Sequences suggestive of recombination were further investigated by bootscanning analysis of various fragments. Overall, we identified several second-generation recombinant (SGRs) strains, which contained genetic material of CRF02_AG in at least one gene. Notably, three individuals were found to be infected with subsubtype A3, and one of them showed genetic recombination with subsubtype A4. The current study emphasizes the genetic analysis of gag, pol, and env genes as a powerful tool to trace the spread of complex HIV-1 recombinant forms, and highlight the genetic diversity of HIV-1 non-B strains in Italy.
Tramuto
Fabio
F
Centro di Riferimento Regionale per la Diagnosi Sierologica e Virologica dell'AIDS, Dipartimento di Igiene e Microbiologia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. igiene@unipa.it
Bonura
Filippa
F
Perna
Anna Maria
AM
Mancuso
Salvatrice
S
Firenze
Alberto
A
Romano
Nino
N
Vitale
Francesco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015684:Gene Products, pol / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015684:Gene Products, pol