Adaptation to human populations is revealed by within-host polymorphisms in HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus.

ABSTRACT: CD8(+) cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) perform a critical role in the immune control of viral infections, including those caused by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). As a result, genetic variation at CTL epitopes is strongly influenced by host-specific selection for either escape from the immune response, or reversion due to the replicative costs of escape mutations in the absence of CTL recognition. Under strong CTL-mediated selection, codon positions within epitopes may immediately "toggle" in response to each host, such that genetic variation in the circulating virus population is shaped by rapid adaptation to immune variation in the host population. However, this hypothesis neglects the substantial genetic variation that accumulates in virus popula

SUBMITTER: Poon AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1839164 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature