title: Genetic analysis of the near full-length genome of an HIV type 1 A1/C unique recombinant form from northern South Africa.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has a high propensity for recombination. The epidemic in South Africa is predominantly driven by HIV-1 subtype C with occasional description of non-subtype C and intersubtype recombinant viruses. This report presents the genetic analysis of a unique recombinant variant from northern South Africa comprised exclusively of subsubtype A1 and subtype C parental viruses. Boot scanning analysis of the near full-length genome with the jumping profile Hidden Markov Model revealed a genomic arrangement with seven breakpoints of recombination alternating between subsubtype A1 and subtype C. Apparently, this is the first report of a unique HIV-1 A1/C recombinant form from northern South Africa and probably the fifth from South Africa. The epidemiologic implication of this variant is unknown.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Virus Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
authors.forename: Benson C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Iweriebor
authors.forename: Pascal O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Bessong
authors.forename: Lufuno G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Mavhandu
authors.forename: Tracy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Masebe
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nwobegahay
authors.forename: Sylvester R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Moyo
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mphahlele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005838:Genotype; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013019:South Africa; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D016333:HIV Protease