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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Amplification of Near Full-length HIV-1 Proviruses for Next-Generation Sequencing
Published on: October 16, 2018
Long-term intrapatient viral evolution during HIV-2 infection
Adam MacNeil1, Jean-Louis Sankale, Seema Thakore Meloni
1Department of Immunology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) evolves slowly within patients, unlike HIV-1. This slower viral evolution in HIV-2 correlates with its attenuated disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) exhibits attenuated disease progression and transmission compared to HIV-1.
- Lower plasma viral loads are characteristic of HIV-2 infection.
- Limited prospective studies exist on intrapatient viral evolution in HIV-2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intrapatient viral sequence evolution in the env gene of HIV-2.
- To compare the evolutionary dynamics of HIV-2 with HIV-1 within the same population.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of viral env gene sequences (C2V3C3 region) from 8 HIV-2-infected individuals over ~10 years.
- Phylogenetic analysis of HIV-2 sequences.
- Reanalysis of existing HIV-1 intrapatient evolution data from the same population for comparison.
Main Results:
- HIV-2 sequences showed phylogenetic intermixing between early and late time points for all subjects.
- No significant trends in fragment size or N-linked glycosylation sites were observed.
- Synonymous to nonsynonymous substitution ratios suggested neutral or negative selection.
- Rates of viral divergence and diversification were slower for HIV-2 compared to HIV-1.
Conclusions:
- Viral evolution in HIV-2 infection proceeds at a slow pace.
- Slow viral evolution in HIV-2 aligns with its attenuated disease progression.
- Viral evolution dynamics may serve as a correlate for disease progression in HIV infections.
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