Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Interview: HIV-1 Proviral DNA Excision Using an Evolved Recombinase
Published on: June 16, 2008
HIV diversity, molecular epidemiology, and the role of recombination
Gustavo H Kijak1, Francine E McCutchan
1US Military HIV Research Program, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, 1600 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. gkijak@hivresearch.org
Abstract:
The magnitude of the HIV pandemic and its extensive genetic variation may earn it a unique place among infectious agents. A high mutation rate and a rampant recombination are driving HIV's evolution. Nine subtypes and a variety of recombinant forms of HIV now exist. The source of recombinant forms is the multiple infection of target cells, which becomes highly significant when individuals become infected with two or more divergent strains. In the current paper, we re-examine the role of dual infection and recombination in the generation of HIV-1 diversity, both in individuals and on a global scale. The current molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 is reviewed, emphasizing the latest reports from regional epidemics.
Related Concept Videos
Viral Recombination
Viral Mutations
Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Retrovirus Life Cycles
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...

