HIV-2 capsids distinguish high and low virus load patients in a West African community cohort

Vaccine. 2010 May 26:28 Suppl 2:B60-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.08.060.

Abstract

HIV-2 causes AIDS similar to HIV-1, however a considerable proportion of HIV-2 infected patients show no disease and have low plasma virus load (VL). An analysis of HIV-2 capsid (p26) variation demonstrated that proline at p26 positions 119, 159 and 178 are more frequent in lower VL subjects while non-proline residues at all three sites are more frequent in subjects with high VL. In vitro replication levels of viruses bearing changes at the three sites suggested that these three residues influence virus replication by altering susceptibility to TRIM5alpha. These results provide new insights into HIV-2 pathogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • Capsid / virology*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Cohort Studies
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-2 / genetics
  • HIV-2 / pathogenicity*
  • HIV-2 / physiology
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Viral Load*
  • Virus Replication
  • gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / metabolism

Substances

  • Antiviral Restriction Factors
  • Carrier Proteins
  • RNA, Viral
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins
  • gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • gag protein p26, Human immunodeficiency virus
  • TRIM5 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases