Molecular characterization of a recombinant HIV type 1 isolate (A/G/E/?): Unidentified regions may be derived from parental subtype E sequences

Recombination is one of several factors contributing to the genetic diversi ty of HIV-1, which is divided into group M (itself comprising 11 subtypes, A-K) and two other groups named O and N, In the present study, the full-len gth genome of an HIV-1 isolate obtained from a Greek subject (GR17) infecte d in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) was analyzed to reveal a novel mosaic sequence composed of subtypes A, G, and E and regions of indeterminate classification, In particular, most of pol and tat/vpu, a s well as the region encoding intracellular domain of gp41, did not cluster with any of the previously characterized HIV-1 subtypes, The clustering of the LTR of GR17 with subtype E was suggestive of a subtype E origin of the unclassified regions. However, the identification of distinct characterist ics in the LTR, such as two functional NF-kappa B sites and a distinct TAR element, compared with those of circulating (A/E) recombinants, suggests th at the partial subtype E sequences found in GR17 and the mosaic viruses (A/ E) have not derived from each other, These results provide evidence that pa rental subtype E may have existed in the geographic area of Central Africa.