PERSISTENT INFECTION WITH SIVMAC CHIMERIC VIRUS HAVING TAT, REV, VPU,ENV AND NEF OF HIV TYPE-1 IN MACAQUE MONKEYS

A chimeric human and simian immunodeficiency virus carrying the tat, r ev, vpu, env, and nef genes of human immunodeficiency virus type I was generated. The chimeric virus, NM-3n, grew competently in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from cynomolgus monkeys like the parental SIVm ac. Two cynomolgus monkeys and one rhesus monkey inoculated with NM-3n raised antibodies to SIVmac Gag and HIV-1 Env. The antibodies raised in the cynomolgus monkeys persisted for at least 1.7 years. The antibo dies contained virus neutralizing activity not only to the original ch imeric virus but also to the parental HIV-1. Infectious viruses were i solated from one of the cynomolgus monkeys 37 and 63 weeks after inocu lation and from the rhesus monkey continuously from 6 weeks after infe ction onward. The recovered virus maintained its chimeric structure bu t included several clones with mutations in the env V3 region. When th e recovered virus was inoculated to another rhesus monkey, no differen ce in the frequency of virus recovery was seen from the originally inf ected monkeys. These carrier monkeys have so far shown no sign of the disease.