title: Transmission of new CRF07_BC strains with 7 amino acid deletion in Gag p6.
abstract: A 7 amino acid deletion in Gag p6 (P6delta7) emerged in Chinese prevalent HIV-1 strain CRF07_BC from different epidemic regions. It is important to determine whether this mutation could be transmitted and spread. In this study, HIV-1 Gag sequences from 5 different epidemic regions in China were collected to trace the transmission linkage and to analyze genetic evolution of P6delta7 strains. The sequence analysis demonstrated that P6delta7 is a CRF07_BC specific deletion, different P6delta7 strains could be originated from different parental CRF07_BC recombinants in different epidemic regions, and the transmission of P6delta7 strain has occurred in IDU populations. This is for the first time to identify the transmission linkage for P6delta7 strains and serves as a wake-up call for further monitoring in the future; In addition, P6delta7 deletion may represent an evolutionary feature which might exert influence on the fitness of CRF07_BC strain.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, 2901 Caolang Road, Research Center, Jinshan District, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhefeng
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huiliang
authors.forename: Qiu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jianxin
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiaoyan
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jianqing
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C083002:p6 gag protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1