Genetic variation of the SIVagm transmembrane glycoprotein in naturally and experimentally infected primates. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Genetic variation of the SIVagm transmembrane glycoprotein in naturally and experimentally infected primates.

AIDS. 1993 Aug;7(8):1041-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94000532
Fomsgaard A; Johnson PR; London WT; Hirsch VM; Department of Microbiology, Georgetown University, Rockville,; Maryland.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: An in-frame stop codon prematurely truncating the transmembrane glycoprotein (TMP) is a common feature of many simian immunodeficiency virus, African green monkey strain (SIVagm) molecular clones. The purpose of this study was to investigate the native form of the SIVagm TMP in a naturally infected African green monkey (AGM) and to study the fate of the stop codon following the passage of SIVagm in primates. DESIGN: Polymerase chain reaction was used to clone the entire intracellular portion of the TMP from: (1) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the naturally infected AGM 155; (2) an isolate of SIVagm155 in rhesus PBMC and (3) PBMC from pig-tailed macaques and AGM experimentally infected with an SIVagm molecular clone encoding a truncated TMP. RESULTS: PBMC of the naturally infected AGM contained a 'swarm' of related virus genotypes that encoded a full-length TMP, whereas tissue-culture passage in rhesus PBMC resulted in a prematurely truncated form of the TMP. This premature stop codon persisted in PBMC of monkeys experimentally infected with an SIVagm molecular clone. Both macaques and AGM of same subspecies as AGM 155 (Cercopithecus pygerythrus) and other subspecies (C. aethiops and C. sabaeus) became infected with SIVagm155. Genetic drift of this region of env, as assessed by calculation of the nucleotide substitution/site/year rate, was similar to that of other retroviruses. CONCLUSIONS: The native form of the SIVagm TMP is a full-length gp40, similar to the SIV macaque (SIVmac) strain and HIV-1. However, passage of SIVagm in tissue culture can result in point mutations that introduce a premature stop codon. This stop codon persists during subsequent in vivo passage of SIVagm in primates. This contrasts with similar studies in macaques infected with SIVmac, in which reversion of the TMP stop codon was observed.
Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence Animal Base Sequence Cercopithecus aethiops Cloning, Molecular Codon DNA Primers Gene Products, env/*GENETICS Human Macaca mulatta Macaca nemestrina Molecular Sequence Data Polymerase Chain Reaction Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic/*GENETICS Sequence Homology, Amino Acid SIV/CLASSIFICATION/*GENETICS Terminator Regions (Genetics) *Variation (Genetics) JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDaminoacidsequenceanimalbasesequencecercopithecusaethiopscloning,molecularcodondnaprimersgeneproducts,env/KWDgeneticshumanmacacamulattamacacanemestrinamolecularsequencedatapolymerasechainreactionretroviridaeproteins,oncogenic/KWDgeneticssequencehomology,aminoacidsiv/classification/KWDgeneticsterminatorregions(genetics)KWDvariation(genetics)journalarticle
940130
M9410794

Copyright © 1994 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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