Near full-length genome identification of a novel HIV-1 recombinant form (CRF01_AE/B'/C) among heterosexuals in Jilin, China.

Recombinant forms contribute significantly to the genetic diversity of HIV-1. Here we report a novel HIV-1 recombinant form (CRF01_AE/B'/C) detected from a comprehensive HIV-1 molecular epidemiologic study among heterosexuals in Jilin province of northeastern China. Recombinant analyses of the near full-length genome (NFLG) of the novel HIV-1 recombinant isolate (JL.RF01) showed that the backbone of the genome was CRF01_AE, and three insertions of subtype B' (242, 370, and 233 bp) and C (1142, 230, and 271 bp), respectively, were inserted along the genome. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the novel HIV-1 recombinant form (CRF01_AE/B'/C) more likely originated from Thailand subtype B' and CRF01_AE and India subtype C. We report a unique mosaic structure that is distinct to HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B'/C recombinant viruses reported to date. The emergence of this novel recombinant form (CRF01_AE/B'/C) suggests the increasing significance of heterosexual transmission contributing to the complexity of the HIV-1 epidemic in northeastern China.