title: Identification of a new HIV-1 BC circulating recombinant form (CRF60_BC) in Italian young men having sex with men.
abstract: HIV-1 recombination, reverse transcriptase (RT) low fidelity and high replication rate are the drivers of variability and evolution on the global scale. Only few of these HIV-1 chimeric forms have been characterized in Europe, despite 20% of infections are due to unique or circulating recombinant forms worldwide. An outbreak of BC recombinants has been recently described in a southern region of Italy, Apulia, in men having sex with men (MSM) seeking sexual partners on-line. We analyzed the full length genome of HIV-1 BC recombinants harbored by three recently infected subjects, two MSM and a heterosexual woman, with no evidence of epidemiological link. The recombination analysis showed a unique recombination pattern of a subtype C genome with 3 subtype B fragments corresponding to HXB2 positions: [1-463] in the 5'LTR , [2804-3037] in RT and [8662-9548] corresponding to the C-terminal segment of gp41, nef and most of 3'LTR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the South American origin of the C subtype parental strain. A research conducted in an Italian nationwide database provided six additional similar sequences from other Italian regions with identical recombination pattern in pol gene; a further BLAST search retrieved one full length genome isolated in France with the same mosaic pattern, except an additional B subtype short fragment in the integrase region. These recombinant isolates, designated CRF60_BC, led to the identification of the first Italian circulating recombinant form, which gave rise to an epidemic burst mainly involving MSM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco Roberto
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy. Electronic address: alessia.lai@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monno
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Binda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brindicci
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Violin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Section of Microbiology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zazzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angarano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Immunopathology Section, "L. Sacco" Hospital, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balotta
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D055815:Young Adult; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D054311:nef Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; C514837:nef protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D054302:pol Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
keywords: CRF60_BC; Italian young MSM; Recombination analysis