Evolution of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 variant with enhanced replication in pig-tailed macaque cells by DNA shuffling.

ABSTRACT: DNA shuffling facilitated the evolution of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variant with enhanced replication in pig-tailed macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pt mPBMC). This variant consists exclusively of HIV-1-derived sequences with the exception of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) nef. Sequences spanning the gag-protease-reverse transcriptase (gag-pro-RT) region from several HIV-1 isolates were shuffled and cloned into a parental HIV-1 backbone containing SIV nef. Neither this full-length parent nor any of the unshuffled HIV-1 isolates replicated appreciably or sustainably in pt mPBMC. Upon selection of the shuffled viral libraries by serial passaging in pt mPBMC, a species emerged which replicated at substantially higher levels (50 to 100 ng/ml p24) than any o

SUBMITTER: Pekrun K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC135969 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature