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Updated: May 13, 2026

Interview: HIV-1 Proviral DNA Excision Using an Evolved Recombinase
Published on: June 16, 2008
Dynamics of HIV type 1 recombination following superinfection
Fransje A Koning1, Anjna Badhan, Simon Shaw
1Virus Reference Department, Public Health England, London, UK. fransje.koning@phe.gov.uk
Abstract:
There are currently few detailed studies describing HIV-1 recombination events or the potential impact of recombination on drug resistance. We describe here the viral recombination dynamics in a drug-naive patient initially infected with a circulating recombinant form 19 (CRF19) virus containing transmitted drug resistance mutations followed by superinfection with "wild-type" subtype B virus. Single genome analysis showed replacement of the primary CRF19 virus by recombinants of the CRF19 virus and the superinfecting subtype B virus. The CRF19/B recombinant virus dominating after superinfection had lost drug resistance mutations and at no time was the superinfecting subtype B variant found to be dominant in blood plasma. Furthermore, the detection of recombinant viruses in seminal plasma indicates the potential for onward transmission of these strains.
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