CRF22_01A1 is involved in the emergence of new HIV-1 recombinants in Cameroon

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2012 Aug 1;60(4):344-50. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e318258c7e3.

Abstract

Cameroon is a West African country where high genetic diversity of HIV-1 has been reported. The predominant CRF02_AG is involved in the emergence of more complex intersubtype recombinants. In this study, we sequenced the full-length genome of a novel unique recombinant form of HIV-1, 02CAMLT04 isolated in blood donors in urban Cameroon. Phylogenetic tree and bootscan analysis showed that 02CAMLT04 was complex and seemed to be a secondary recombinant derived from CRF02_AG and CRF22_01A1. The genomic composition of 02CAMLT04 strain showed that it is composed of 3 segments; 24% of the genome is classified as CRF02_AG, spanning most of the envelope gene. The remaining 76% of the genome is classified as CRF22_01A1. In addition, the sequence analysis of 13 full-length sequences from HIV-1-positive specimens received from Cameroon between 2002 and 2010 indicated that 5 specimens are pure CRF22_01A1 viruses, and 6 others have homology with CRF22_01A1 sequences in either gag, pol, or env region, whereas 6% of strains contain portions of CRF22_01A1. Further study demonstrated that CRF22_01A1 is a primary prevalence strain co-circulating in Cameroon and is involved in complex intersubtype recombination events with subtypes (D or F), subsubtypes (A1 or F2), and CRFs (CRF01_AE or CRF02_AG). Our studies show that novel recombinants between CRF22_01A1 and other clades and recombinant forms may be emerging in Cameroon that could contribute to the future global diversity of HIV-1 in this region and worldwide.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Blood Donors
  • Cameroon / epidemiology
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Genome, Viral
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / virology*
  • HIV-1 / classification*
  • HIV-1 / genetics*
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Recombination, Genetic*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Viral Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Viral Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EU743964
  • GENBANK/JN864047
  • GENBANK/JN864059