Different regions of HIV-1 subtype C env are associated with placental localization and in utero mother-to-child transmission.

ABSTRACT: HIV infections are initiated by a limited number of variants that diverge into a diverse quasispecies swarm. During in utero mother-to-child transmission (IU MTCT), transmitted viral variants must pass through multiple unique environments, and our previously published data suggest a nonstochastic model of transmission. As an alternative to a stochastic model of viral transmission, we hypothesize that viral selection in the placental environment influences the character of the viral quasispecies when HIV-1 is transmitted in utero. To test this hypothesis, we used single-template amplification to isolate HIV-1 envelope gene (env) sequences from both peripheral plasma and the placentas of eight nontransmitting (NT) and nine IU-transmitting participants. Statistically significant compartmental

SUBMITTER: Kumar SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3126595 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature