Abstract

Naturally occurring human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) variability has implications for the success of antiretroviral therapy. We determined the sequence of the polymerase-coding region of RT from virus isolates from 12 Zimbabwean individuals recently infected with HIV-1. The 12 RT sequences differed from the consensus B RT sequence at 10.5% of nucleotides and 5.8% of amino acids. Susceptibility testing of five isolates to zidovudine, didanosine, lamivudine, and nevirapine demonstrated susceptibilities similar to those of wild-type subtype B isolates. Phylogenetic analysis of 40 HIV-1 RT sequences, including the 12 Zimbabwean subtype C sequences, 11 subtype B sequences, and the 17 remaining published non-subtype B sequences showed sufficient intrasubtype RT sequence variation to differentiate subtype A, B, C, and D isolates. Five recently reported subtype C RT sequences from India grouped with the Zimbabwean subtype C sequences but had significantly less intraisolate sequence variation. Both intra- and intersubtype RT comparisons were notable for extraordinarily high ratios of synonymous to nonsynonymous differences. Although substitutions in the HIV-1 RT gene are limited by functional constraints, variation between RT sequences demonstrates phylogenetic relationships that parallel env and gag gene variation.

View details for Web of Science ID A1997XD82900068

View details for PubMedID 9188616

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC191784