Molecular characterization of the gp120 encoding region of a new subtype A strain of HIV-1 (HIV-1 IbNg) from Nigeria

Abstract

We have characterized the coding region of the surface protein, gp120, of an HIV-1 strain (HIV-1 IbNg) from Nigeria.  This represents the first HIV isolate from this region of Africa.  Based on the nucleic acid sequence of the gp120 encoding region as well as the deduced amino acid seqience of this protein, the virus has been identified to cluster with the clade A strains of HIV-1, which have been primarily isolated from regions of Western and Central Africa.  Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the HIV-1 IbNg gp120 proteins with those of other A clade strains revealed the conservation of 19 cysteine residues among these viruses as well as the number of potential N-linked glycosylation sites and their relative positions.  Since there is very little information on the genomic sequences of HIV-1 strains belonging to clade A, which are predominantly isolated from areas hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, characterization of the entire genomic sequence of HIV-1 IbNg is important for identifying the molecular structure(s) of the viral gene(s) which may be involved in the pathogenesis of subtype A strains as well as in the development of effective HIV-1 vaccines.