Short communication: Biological and genetic characterization of HIV type 1 subtype B and nonsubtype B transmitted viruses: usefulness for vaccine candidate assessment.
Due to the extraordinary degree of genetic diversity of HIV-1 and the structural complexity of its envelope glycoproteins, designing an effective vaccine is difficult, requiring the development of viral reagents to assess vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies. The aim of this study was to improve on our previously developed panel of HIV-1 strains of different genetic forms, focusing on strains from acute and recently acquired infections as the most representative of the transmitted viruses. HIV-1 primary isolates were expanded in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Viral stocks of 40 ml each were produced. Syncytium-inducing (SI) phenotype, coreceptor use, and TCID(50)/ml were determined. Near full-length HIV-1 genomes were amplified by RT-nested PCR in four overlapping segments. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with neighbor-joining trees and bootscanning. Forty-four HIV-1 strains were included in the panel. Twenty-four (54.1%) strains were from early infections (16 acute and 8 recent); of them, 21 (87%) were sexually transmitted. NSI/R5 phenotype was detected in 37 (84.1%) viruses and SI/R5,X4 in another 7 (15.9%). TCID(50)/ml ranged between 10(4) and 10(6.6). Twelve different genetic forms constituted this panel: subtypes A1, B, C, F1, and G; circulating recombinant forms CRF02_AG, CRF14_BG, and CRF24_BG; and unique recombinant forms CRF02_AG/A3, BF1, CRF12_BF/B, and DF1G. In conclusion, in this study, we report the development of a comprehensive and well-characterized panel of HIV-1 isolates for assessing neutralization in HIV vaccine research. This panel is available for distribution through the Programme EVA Centre for AIDS Reagents, National Institute for Biological Standard and Control (NIBSC).
Cuevas
M T
MT
HIV Biology and Variability Department, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
Fernández-García
A
A
Pinilla
M
M
García-Alvarez
V
V
Thomson
M
M
Delgado
E
E
González-Galeano
M
M
Miralles
C
C
Serrano-Bengoechea
E
E
Ojea de Castro
R
R
López-Alvarez
M J
MJ
Lezáun
M J
MJ
Sánchez-García
A M
AM
Sánchez-Martínez
M
M
Muñoz-Nieto
M
M
Pérez-Alvarez
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010802:Phylogeny; D055815:Young Adult