HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1 INTERSUBTYPE (B E) RECOMBINATION IN A SUPERINFECTED CHIMPANZEE/

Genetic characterization of a large number of human immunodeficiency v irus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates indicates that at least 10% of all strain s have mosaic genomes generated bg recombination between viruses of th e same or different subtypes or clades, What is not known, however, is the time between infection with the first and second HIV-1 strains as well as the time between infection with the second strain and the rec ombinational national event. After 32 months of infection with HIV-1(L AI/IIIB), a chimpanzee was inoculated intravenously and became infecte d with a subtype E strain, HIV-1(90CR402). With PCR amplification, DNA heteroduplex analysis, and DNA sequencing, both parental strains and two distinct recombinant proviruses were found in genomic DNA from lym ph node tissue obtained 24 weeks after exposure to HIV-1(90CR402). The se results show (ij that antiviral immune responses established by lon g-term infection with an HIV-1 subtype B strain did not prevent infect ion by a subtype E strain and (ii) that both strains actively replicat ed and produced sufficient quantities of virus to coinfect the same ce ll(s), resulting in recombinant viruses.