FULL GENOME SEQUENCES OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 SUBTYPE-G AND SUBTYPE-A G INTERSUBTYPE RECOMBINANTS/

Multiple genetic subtypes and intersubtype recombinant strains have be en identified among isolates of HIV-I. The greatest diversity of strai ns has been recovered from Central Africa, where mixtures of subtypes and recombinant forms have been recovered. However, many of the HIV-l subtypes and recombinants have been characterized by partial rather th an full-length genome sequencing. Here we report the first two virtual ly full-length genome sequences from HIV-I subtype G, isolated in Swed en and Finland but originating in Congo and Kenya, and from two Djibou ti isolates sharing the A/G recombinant structure of Nigerian isolate, IbNG. By comparison with reference sequences of other subtypes, it ap pears that the subtype G strains are largely nonrecombinant, while the Djibouti strains show alternating segments from subtypes A and G. In the cytoplasmic domain of the gp41 protein of the Djibouti viruses the E, G, and IbNG strains form a single cluster, separate from subtype A , clouding the subtype origin of these particular segments. Within the resolution of current technology, the structure of the Djibouti strai ns is identical to that of IbNG, establishing for the first time the g eographic spread of this recombinant in Africa. The geographic spread of the IbNG-like strains suggests that, like the subtype E recombinant s, these should be given a specific name to facilitate future identifi cation and tracking; the name ''lbNG subtype'' is proposed. (C) 1998 A cademic Press.