Studies of Genetic Variation in the AIDS Virus: Relevance to Disease PathogenesisAnti-Viral Therapy, and Vaccine Development

摘要

Overall for our contract studies (DAMD-17-87-C7038) were to define the extent andnature of HIV-1 and HIV-2 genetic variability in independent virus isolates from different geographic regions; the rate and characteristics of genetic change of HIV-1 in vivo in persistently infected individuals; and the biologic consequences of HIV variability in regard to cell tropism and virulence. The experimental approaches taken to address these important areas of viral pathogenesis included virus isolation, lambda phage cloning, nucleotide sequencing, transfection of proviral DNA, and biologic characterization of progeny virus. In addition to this, work was done to develop novel PCR and recombinant lamda phage cloning approaches the at enabled the cloning analysis of HIV/SIV viruses directly from uncultured lymphoid cells, thereby avoiding selective pressures inherent to tissue culture. (js)