Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Nonsynonymous mutations within the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 p17 gene are clustered to sequences binding to the host human leukocyte antigen class I molecules.
AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1998 Feb 10;14(3):241-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/98150878 Birk M; Vahlne A; Sonnerborg A; Sallberg M; Division of Clinical Virology, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
Abstract:
We have analyzed the relation between intrapatient variabilities of the p17 gene and the location of known host p17 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes in five patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). All patients were typed with respect to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I type. One to seven previously fine-mapped p17 CTL epitopes corresponded to the HLA class I restriction elements of each patient. An average of 28+/-16% of the p17 gene of each patient encoded CTL epitopes corresponding to the HLA restriction elements of the host. Twenty full-length p17 gene clones were sequenced from each patient. The intrapatient homology between the p17 sequences ranged from 96.4 to 98.9%. The interpatient homology between the consensus sequences of each patient ranged from 83.1 to 91.6%. A total of 246 nucleotide differences within the 100 p17 clones was noted. Fifteen (16%) of 96 synonymous substitutions were found within host CTL epitopes, whereas 72 (48%) of 150 nonsynonymous nucleotide changes were found within CTL epitopes corresponding to the HLA restriction elements of the host (p < 0.0001; Fisher's exact test). Subsequently, variable residues indicating the evolution of at least two major p17 species (i.e., >20% of the clones) were determined to be more common at positions contained within these CTL epitopes (p < 0.01). The present data suggest that the evolution of the p17 gene is influenced by contact areas with the host HLA class I molecules.
Keywords: *Gene Products, gag/GENETICS *Genes, MHC Class I *Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/METABOLISM *HIV Antigens/GENETICS *HIV-1/GENETICS *HIV-1/IMMUNOLOGY *T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/IMMUNOLOGY *Variation (Genetics) 980630
M9861849
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