Unique genotypic features of HIV-1 C gp41 membrane proximal external region variants during pregnancy relate to mother-to-child transmission via breastfeeding.

ABSTRACT: Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) through breastfeeding remains a major source of pediatric HIV-1 infection worldwide. To characterize plasma HIV-1 subtype C populations from infected mothers during pregnancy that related to subsequent breast milk transmission, an exploratory study was designed to apply next generation sequencing and a custom bioinformatics pipeline for HIV-1 gp41 extending from heptad repeat region 2 (HR2) through the membrane proximal external region (MPER) and the membrane spanning domain (MSD). MPER harbors linear and highly conserved epitopes that repeatedly elicits HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies with exceptional breadth. Viral populations during pregnancy from women who transmitted by breastfeeding, compared to those who did not, displayed greater biodiversity, more

SUBMITTER: Yin L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8454918 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature