[New recombinant variant of human immunodeficiency virus of type 1, subtype envB/envA, isolated in Novosibirsk]

The nucleotide sequence of the variant of human immunodeficiency virus of type 1 (HIV-1), mostly widespread on the territory of the Novosibirsk region, was determined. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence confirmed that this variant belonged to HIV-1 of subtype A. The HIV-1 recombinant variant of subtype envB/envA with the recombination area within the second conservative region C2 of gene env, so far unknown, was detected and characterized. In HIV-1 the area at the beginning of gene env (5'-env) was found to belong to subtype B and the sequence at the end of gene env (3'-env), to subtype A. The analysis of the amino acid sequence of the third variable region of gene env demonstrated that the viruses under study belonged to macrophagotropic "slow/low" variants, characterized by low replication speed. The analysis of nucleotide sequences of the isolated variants of HIV-1 revealed their close genetic relationship with HIV-1 isolates circulating on the territory of Ukraine.