POPLINE Document Number: 050098
Author(s):
Franchini G
Collalti E
Arya SK
Fenyo EM
Biberfeld G
Zagury JF
Kanki PJ
Wong-Staal F
Gallo RC
Source citation:
AIDS RESEARCH AND HUMAN RETROVIRUSES, 1987;3(1):11-7.
Abstract:
A new primate retrovirus, STLV-IIIAGM, has been recently isolated from healthy African green monkeys and is apparently nonpathogenic in its natural host. However, spontaneous infection as well as inoculation of STLV-IIIAGM into macaques induces a disease with clinical features that resembles human AIDS. Independent isolates of human retroviruses, serologically related closely to STLV-IIIAGM, have been obtained from healthy individuals (HTLV-IV) and patients with immunodeficiency (LAV-2FG and SBL 6669) from West AFrica. The latter have also been referred to as HIV-2 because, like HTLV-III/HIV-1, they may be associated with immune deficiency, or as West African human retroviruses because of their prevalence and probable origin from that region. The authors have molecularly cloned the STLV-IIIAGM genome and have generated probes from the gag-pol and envelope genes to analyze the genetic relatedness of these simian and human retroviruses. These results indicate that all these retroviruses are genetically closely related to one another, HTLV- IV and STLV-IIIAGM differing only by a few restriction enzyme sites while LAV-2FG and SBL 6669 exhibit greater polymorphism from HTLV- IV/STLV-IIIAGM. These data mirror the variable degree of relatedness among members of the 1st subgroup of human retroviruses, HTLV-III/HIV. (author's)
Keywords:
Viral DiseasesIndex page
Genetic Technics
AIDS
Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses
Animals, Laboratory
Data Analysis
Analysis
Diseases
Examinations and Diagnoses
HIV Infections
Clinical Research
Research Methodology