Open AccessClade-Specific Differences between Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Clades B and C: Diversity and Correlations in C3-V4 Regions of gp120
Author(s) -
S. Gnanakaran,
Dorothy Lang,
Marcus G. Daniels,
Tanmoy Bhattacharya,
Cynthia A. Derdeyn,
Bette T. Korber
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.617
H-Index - 292
eISSN - 1070-6321
pISSN - 0022-538X
DOI - 10.1128/jvi.01954-06
Subject(s) - clade , biology , virology , genetics , virus , gene , phylogenetics
Current knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein structure and function is based on studies of clade B viruses. We present evidence of sequence and structural differences in viral glycoprotein gp120 between clades B and C. In clade C, the C3 region α2-helix exhibits high sequence entropy at the polar face but maintains its amphipathicity, whereas in clade B it accommodates hydrophobic residues. The V4 hypervariable domain in clade C is shorter than that in clade B. Generally, shorter V4 loops are incompatible with a glycine occurring in the α2-helix in clade C, an intriguing association that could be exploited to inform Env immunogen design.