4th International AIDS Conference


Stockholm, Sweden. — June 12-16, 1988

[TITLE:] AN OPEN READING FRAME UNIQUELY PRESENT IN HIV-2 AND SIV IS A FUNCTIONAL GENE

Int Conf AIDS. 1988 Jun 12-16;4:1.114 (abstract no. 1005)

Xiao-Fang Yu, Max Essex, and Tun-Hou Lee
Dept. of Cancer Biology, Harvard School of Public Health

OBJECTIVE: To determine if an open reading frame uniquely present in HIV-2 and SIV is a coding gene and to study its role in viral replication cycle.

METHODS: Heterologous sera directed to recombinant proteins expressed by expression vectors are used to study the product encoded by this open reading frame. The replication cycle of mutants with premature stop codons introduced into this coding region is studied.

RESULTS: The product encoded by this open reading frame, previously designated X, is identified. This product is recognized by HIV-2 infected individuals but not by those infected by HIV-1. With a few exceptions, viral mutants with truncated X gene products behave like wild type viruses.

CONCLUSION: The open reading frame which is present only in HIV-2 and SIV but not HIV-1 is proven to be a functional gene.

880612
1005

Copyright © 1988 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.