Live, attenuated simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac-M4, with point mutations in the Env transmembrane protein intracytoplasmic domain, provides partial protection from mucosal challenge with pathogenic SIVmac251.

ABSTRACT: Attenuated molecular clones of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) are important tools for studying the correlates of protective immunity to lentivirus infection in nonhuman primates. The most highly attenuated SIVmac mutants fail to induce disease but also fail to induce immune responses capable of protecting macaques from challenge with pathogenic virus. We recently described a novel attenuated virus, SIVmac-M4, containing multiple mutations in the transmembrane protein (TM) intracytoplasmic domain. This domain has been implicated in viral assembly, infectivity, and cytopathogenicity. Whereas parental SIVmac239-Nef(+) induced persistent viremia and simian AIDS in rhesus macaques, SIVmac-M4 induced transient viremia in juvenile and neonatal macaques, with no disease for at least 1 year

SUBMITTER: Shacklett BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC136751 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature