HIV-1 transmission biology: selection and characteristics of infecting viruses.

Brief Report: Selection of HIV-1 Variants With Higher Transmission Potential by 1% Tenofovir Gel Microbicide

BACKGROUND Women in the CAPRISA 004 trial assigned to use 1% tenofovir (TFV) microbicide gel, who became HIV-1 infected, had higher viral load set-point and slower antibody avidity maturation compared with placebo participants. We investigated whether TFV gel was selected for viruses with altered genetic characteristics. SETTING The participants of the CAPRISA 004 trial (n = 28 TFV and 43 pla...

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSES: HIV-l AND HIV-2

Selection for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycosylation variants with shorter V1-V2 loop sequences occurs during transmission of certain genetic subtypes and may impact viral RNA levels.

Designing an effective human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine will rely on understanding which variants, from among the myriad of circulating HIV-1 strains, are most commonly transmitted and determining whether such variants have an Achilles heel. Here we show that heterosexually acquired subtype A HIV-1 envelopes have signature sequences that include shorter V1-V2 loop sequences a...

Zooplankton May Serve as Transmission Vectors for Viruses Infecting Algal Blooms in the Ocean

Marine viruses are recognized as a major driving force regulating phytoplankton community composition and nutrient cycling in the oceans. Yet, little is known about mechanisms that influence viral dispersal in aquatic systems, other than physical processes, and that lead to the rapid demise of large-scale algal blooms in the oceans. Here, we show that copepods, abundant migrating crustaceans th...

Genetic variation in mother-child acute seroconverter pairs from Zambia.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the envelope (Env) glycoprotein of HIV-1 in mother-infant pairs (MIP) that underwent near simultaneous or acute-phase seroconversion, we examined the Env sequence of the transmitted viruses and compare viral evolution within the pair. DESIGN Three MIP from a Zambian cohort that seroconverted at the same sampling time were identified and followed longitudinally. MET...