HIV-I reverse transcriptase variation in plasma and genital secretion of antiretroviral-naive females

Uma Shanmugasundaram, Suniti Solomon, Saravanan Shanmugam, Kailapuri G. Murugavel, Kumarasamy Nagalingeswaran, Sunil S. Solomon, Kenneth H. Mayer, Balakrishnan Pachamuthu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) is largely targeted by the host immune selection pressure and would differ in the anatomical compartments, thereby having a drastic impact on viral quasi-species evolution. The HIV-1 RT region sequenced from plasma and genital secretions of 8 antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naive females was analyzed for the pattern of amino acid mutations and the ratio of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions to determine whether it is under different selection pressure in both the compartments. Phylogenetic and mutational analysis of the HIV-1 RT in plasma and genital secretions of HIV-1-infected ART-naive females showed limited variation likely reflecting the absence of differential selection pressure and therefore genetic variation in these compartments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)375-378
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
Volume8
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • HIV compartmentalization
  • HIV-1 reverse transcriptase

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology
  • Dermatology
  • Infectious Diseases

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