BACKGROUND Previous clinical efficacy trials failed to support the continued development of recombinant gp120 (rgp120) as a candidate HIV vaccine. However, the recent RV144 HIV vaccine trial in Thailand showed that a prime/boost immunization strategy involving priming with canarypox vCP1521 followed by boosting with rgp120 could provide significant, although modest, protection from HIV infectio...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated dementia (HAD) is common among clade B HIV-infected individuals, but less common and less severe among individuals infected with clade C HIV-1, suggesting clade-specific differences in neuropathogenicity. Although differences in neuropathogenicity have been investigated in vitro using viral proteins responsible for HAD, to date there are no virologi...

The pathogen Chrysoporthe cubensis (formerly Cryphonectria cubensis) is best known for the important canker disease that it causes on Eucalyptus species. This fungus is also a pathogen of Syzygium aromaticum (clove), which is native to Indonesia, and like Eucalyptus, is a member of Myrtaceae. Furthermore, C. cubensis has been found on Miconia spp. native to South America and residing in Melasto...

The native envelope (Env) spike on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is trimeric, and thus trimeric Env vaccine immunogens are currently being explored in preclinical immunogenicity studies. Key challenges have included the production and purification of biochemically homogeneous and stable trimers and the evaluation of these immunogens utilizing standardized virus pane...

We sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed the reverse transcriptase (RT) region of five human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates from treatment-naive Ethiopian émigrés to Israel. Heteroduplex mobility assays were performed to confirm the clade C status of env genomic regions. The RT sequences showed that the strains clustered phylogenetically with clade C viruses, and a KVEQ-specific motif...

Symbioses are widespread in nature and occur along a continuum from parasitism to mutualism. Coral-dinoflagellate symbioses are defined as mutualistic because both partners receive benefit from the association via the exchange of nutrients. This successful interaction underpins the growth and formation of coral reefs. The symbiotic dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium is genetically diverse contai...

We present detailed studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses to clade A or C HIV type 1 in three donors infected in East Africa. We define several novel non-clade B CTL epitopes, including some restricted by HLA alleles common in Africans. Although cross-clade CTL recognition of these epitopes does occur, recognition can also be highly clade ...

In countries infected with HIV clade B, some patients develop a rapidly progressive dementia that if untreated results in death. In regions of the world infected with HIV clade C, only milder forms of cognitive impairment have been recognized. HIV-infected macrophages are the principal mediators of dementia. HIV clade C, however, efficiently infects macrophages and HIV-infected macrophages are ...

Recent phylogenetic works have begun to address long-standing questions regarding the systematics of Campanula (Campanulaceae). Yet, aspects of the evolutionary history, particularly in northwestern North America, remain unresolved. Thus, our primary goal in this study was to infer the phylogenetic positions of northwestern Campanula species within the greater Campanuloideae tree. We combined n...