Human immunodeficiency virus bearing a disrupted central DNA flap is pathogenic in vivo

J Virol. 2007 Jun;81(11):6146-50. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00203-07. Epub 2007 Mar 28.

Abstract

The central DNA flap is an important component of lentiviral vectors, but its significance in the context of wild-type human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is currently unclear. To address this issue, we have compared the in vitro infection kinetics of NL4-3 with those of a flap-deficient mutant and evaluated the in vivo growth characteristics of these viruses by using the SCID-hu mouse model of HIV infection. Flap-deficient virus was only modestly attenuated in vitro, as assessed by single-round and spreading infection assays, and exhibited levels of replication and pathogenesis close to those of the wild-type in vivo. Hence, an intact central flap is not essential for HIV replication.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • DNA, Viral / chemistry*
  • DNA, Viral / genetics*
  • HIV / chemistry*
  • HIV / genetics
  • HIV / pathogenicity*
  • Humans
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • Sequence Deletion*
  • Virus Replication / physiology*

Substances

  • DNA, Viral