Genotypic and functional impact of HIV-1 adaptation to its host population during the North American epidemic.

ABSTRACT: HLA-restricted immune escape mutations that persist following HIV transmission could gradually spread through the viral population, thereby compromising host antiviral immunity as the epidemic progresses. To assess the extent and phenotypic impact of this phenomenon in an immunogenetically diverse population, we genotypically and functionally compared linked HLA and HIV (Gag/Nef) sequences from 358 historic (1979-1989) and 382 modern (2000-2011) specimens from four key cities in the North American epidemic (New York, Boston, San Francisco, Vancouver). Inferred HIV phylogenies were star-like, with approximately two-fold greater mean pairwise distances in modern versus historic sequences. The reconstructed epidemic ancestral (founder) HIV sequence was essentially identical to the North Ameri

SUBMITTER: Cotton LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3998893 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature