The level of APOBEC3G (hA3G)-related G-to-A mutations does not correlate with viral load in HIV type 1-infected individuals.
The APOBEC family of mammalian cytidine deaminases, such as APOBEC3G (hA3G), has been demonstrated to function as a host viral restriction factor against HIV-1. hA3G has been shown to cause extensive G-to-A mutations in the HIV-1 genome, which may play a role in viral restriction. To investigate the role of G-to-A mutations in HIV-1 pathogenesis, we isolated, amplified, and sequenced HIV-1 sequences (vif, gag, and env) from 29 therapy-naive HIV-1-infected individuals. The levels of G-to-A mutations correlated with the expression levels of hA3G in the vif (rho = 0.438, p = 0.041) and the env regions (rho = 0.392, p = 0.038), but not in the gag region (rho = 0.131, p = 0.582). There is no correlation between viral load and the level of G-to-A mutations in the vif (rho = 0.144, p = 0.522), env (rho = 0.168, p = 0.391), or gag regions (rho = -0.254, p = 0.279). Taken together, these findings suggest that the hA3G-induced G-to-A mutations may not be the mechanism by which hA3G restricts or controls viral replication. Thus, hA3G might be restricting viral growth in infected individuals through a mechanism that is independent of the cytidine deaminase activities of hA3G.
Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Nzovu K
NK
Ulenga
Abdoulaye Dieng
AD
Sarr
Donald
D
Hamel
Jean-Louis
JL
Sankale
Souleymane
S
Mboup
Phyllis J
PJ
Kanki
D000071480:APOBEC-3G Deaminase; D000818:Animals; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019562:Viral Load; D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D054320:vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics
D054299:env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D054320:vif Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C514847:vif protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D000071480:APOBEC-3G Deaminase; C464924:APOBEC3G protein, human; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase