BACKGROUND: The three divergent HIV-1 groups M, N and O were very probably introduced into the human population by independent cross-species transmissions of SIVcpz from the chimpanzee subspecies Pan troglodytes troglodytes in central Africa. OBJECTIVE: To characterize HIV-1 group N strains and to elucidate the group's epidemiology and relationship to HIV-1 strains O and M, and SIVcpz. METHODS: DNA amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed to characterize viruses from three group N-infected individuals (YBF106, YBF115 and YBF116) together with YBF30 and YBF105 previously described. RESULTS: Full-length genome sequence was determined for virus YBF106; gag, pol and env sequences were obtained for YBF116; pol (integrase) and env (gp41) fragments were obtained for YBF115. The gag, pol, 5'-vif and nef sequences were phylogenetically more closely related to HIV-1 M while 3'-vif, vpr, tat, vpu and env clustered with SIVcpz from P. t. troglodytes. Sequence analysis revealed no mutations potentially responsible for drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that all group N viruses displayed the same recombinant structure and were monophyletic indicates that a single transfer event of SIVcpz to humans can account for the origin of this group. Despite the pathogenic outcome of the known group N infections, the extremely low prevalence of this divergent HIV-1 suggests that this group is not an emerging threat to human health at the present time. However, continuous monitoring of HIV-1 diversity will be important to survey the potential of unusual HIV infections, such as group N, to contribute to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
BACKGROUND: The three divergent HIV-1 groups M, N and O were very probably introduced into the human population by independent cross-species transmissions of SIVcpz from the chimpanzee subspeciesPan troglodytes troglodytes in central Africa. OBJECTIVE: To characterize HIV-1 group N strains and to elucidate the group's epidemiology and relationship to HIV-1 strains O and M, and SIVcpz. METHODS: DNA amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed to characterize viruses from three group N-infected individuals (YBF106, YBF115 and YBF116) together with YBF30 and YBF105 previously described. RESULTS: Full-length genome sequence was determined for virus YBF106; gag, pol and env sequences were obtained for YBF116; pol (integrase) and env (gp41) fragments were obtained for YBF115. The gag, pol, 5'-vif and nef sequences were phylogenetically more closely related to HIV-1 M while 3'-vif, vpr, tat, vpu and env clustered with SIVcpz from P. t. troglodytes. Sequence analysis revealed no mutations potentially responsible for drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that all group N viruses displayed the same recombinant structure and were monophyletic indicates that a single transfer event of SIVcpz to humans can account for the origin of this group. Despite the pathogenic outcome of the known group N infections, the extremely low prevalence of this divergent HIV-1 suggests that this group is not an emerging threat to human health at the present time. However, continuous monitoring of HIV-1 diversity will be important to survey the potential of unusual HIV infections, such as group N, to contribute to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Authors: Jun Takehisa; Matthias H Kraus; Julie M Decker; Yingying Li; Brandon F Keele; Fréderic Bibollet-Ruche; Kenneth P Zammit; Zhiping Weng; Mario L Santiago; Shadrack Kamenya; Michael L Wilson; Anne E Pusey; Elizabeth Bailes; Paul M Sharp; George M Shaw; Beatrice H Hahn Journal: J Virol Date: 2007-05-09 Impact factor: 5.103
Authors: Cristian Apetrei; Bobby Gormus; Ivona Pandrea; Michael Metzger; Peter ten Haaft; Louis N Martin; Rudolf Bohm; Xavier Alvarez; Gerrit Koopman; Michael Murphey-Corb; Ronald S Veazey; Andrew A Lackner; Gary Baskin; Jonathan Heeney; Preston A Marx Journal: J Virol Date: 2004-11 Impact factor: 5.103
Authors: Daniel Sauter; Daniel Unterweger; Michael Vogl; Shariq M Usmani; Anke Heigele; Silvia F Kluge; Elisabeth Hermkes; Markus Moll; Edward Barker; Martine Peeters; Gerald H Learn; Frederic Bibollet-Ruche; Joëlle V Fritz; Oliver T Fackler; Beatrice H Hahn; Frank Kirchhoff Journal: PLoS Pathog Date: 2012-12-20 Impact factor: 6.823