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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
A Restriction Enzyme Based Cloning Method to Assess the In vitro Replication Capacity of HIV-1 Subtype C Gag-MJ4 Chimeric Viruses
Published on: August 31, 2014
Clade-specific differences between human immunodeficiency virus type 1 clades B and C: diversity and correlations in
S Gnanakaran1, Dorothy Lang, Marcus Daniels
1Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
Abstract:
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 alpha2-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 alpha2-helix in clade C, an intriguing association that could be exploited to inform Env immunogen design.
