Abstract
Genotypic variation among independent isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is well known1–9, but its molecular basis and biological consequences are poorly understood. We examined the genesis of molecular variation in HIV-1 by sequential virus isolations from two chronically infected individuals and analysis of recombinant HIV-1 genomic clones. In three different virus isolates full-length HIV-1 clones were identified and found to consist, respectively, of 17, 9 and 13 distinguishable, but highly-related, viral genotypes. Thirty-five viral clones derived from two HIV-1 isolates obtained from the same individual but 16 months apart showed progressive change, yet were clearly related. Similar changes in the HIV-1 genome did not occur in vitro during virus isolation and amplification. The results indicate that HIV-1 variation in vivo is rapid, that a remarkably large number of related but distinguishable genotypic variants evolve in parallel and coexist during chronic infection, and that 'isolates' of HIV-1, unless molecularly or biologically cloned, generally consist of complex mixtures of genotypically distinguishable viruses.
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Saag, M., Hahn, B., Gibbons, J. et al. Extensive variation of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 in vivo. Nature 334, 440–444 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/334440a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/334440a0
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